Lava fountains reach 180 m (600 feet) in new eruptive episode at Kilauea, Hawai’i

Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii began a new episode of eruptive activity at 07:30 LT (17:30 UTC) on March 4, with small lava flows from the north and south vents within Halema’uma’u. Continuous fountaining started by 00:00 UTC on March 5, reaching heights of 150–165 m (490–540 feet).

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) maintains the Volcano Alert Level at Watch and the Aviation Color Code at Orange.

The initial lava activity on the morning of March 4 was sporadic. A small lava flow from the south vent lasted about 20 minutes, followed by a sluggish north vent flow at 19:33 UTC that persisted for 12 minutes. A third lava flow, emerging from the south vent at 22:45 UTC, continued until fountaining started at the north vent at 00:00 UTC on March 5.

The initial fountaining heights were 5–10 m (16–33 feet) before increasing to 150–165 m (490–540 feet) by 00:20 UTC and to 180 m (600 feet) by 01:16 UTC on March 5

Tiltmeter readings at the Uēkahuna station (UWD) showed over 10 microradians of inflation since the end of the previous episode, balancing out deflation from Episode 11. A shift from inflation to deflation at 00:00 UTC on March 5 coincided with the onset of sustained lava fountaining. Seismic tremors also increased at the same time.

The Halema’uma’u eruption has followed a pattern of episodic activity since December 23, 2024. Each episode has lasted between 13 hours and 8 days, with pauses ranging from less than 24 hours to 12 days.

The eruption remains confined to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Volcanic gas emissions, like sulfur dioxide (SO₂), pose the main hazard. SO₂ reacts in the atmosphere to form vog (volcanic smog), affecting air quality downwind.

Pele’s hair, fine volcanic glass strands produced by lava fountaining, has been observed downwind. The lightweight fragments, carried by wind, can irritate skin and eyes upon contact.

Although Hawaiian lava flows generally advance at slow rates, activity remains within Halema’uma’u and the southwest sector of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera. Other risks include unstable crater walls, ground cracking, and rockfalls, which are amplified by seismic activity. The caldera rim, which has been closed to the public since 2007, remains a highly hazardous area.

Kīlauea exhibited fluctuating lava fountaining between February 19–25, 2025. The north vent began erupting on February 19 at 20:22 LT (06:22 UTC on February 20), with fountains reaching 90–125 m (295–410 feet) by 07:00 UTC. Fountains were 45–60 m (148–197 feet) high by the next morning, covering 75% of the crater floor.

SO₂ emissions were estimated at 10 000 tons per day (t/d) during peak fountaining, decreasing to 2 100 t/d by February 20 at 21:00 UTC. Small lava flows and intermittent incandescence persisted until February 25, when fountaining resumed at the north vent, reaching 180 m (590 feet) within an hour.

Kīlauea is a basaltic shield volcano with numerous eruptions recorded in Polynesian oral history and Western observations since 1820. The 3 x 5 km (1.8 x 3.1 miles) summit caldera formed in multiple collapse events over the past 1 500 years. The East Rift Zone eruption between 1983 and 2018 covered more than 100 km² (39 mi²), destroying hundreds of homes and adding new land to the island’s coastline.

References:

¹ Kilauea volcano – USGS/HVO – March 5, 2025

² Kīlauea volcano – GVP – Accessed on March 5, 2025

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

This author does not have any more posts.