The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii started its eruption on Friday, blasting a lava arc across a portion of its summit crater floor and 100 feet into the air.
Kilauea had molten rock on display for the 31st time since December, which is a quite high frequency for one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
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Lava overflowed a few hours after the north vent at the summit crater started spattering nonstop in the morning. In the afternoon, lava fountains began to erupt from the vent.
No houses were in danger because the eruption was limited inside the summit crater.
At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a select group of fortunate locals and tourists will get a close-up look. If history is any indication, the U.S. Geological Survey’s three camera viewpoints will enable hundreds of thousands more people to watch popular livestreams.
Park Service worker Janice Wei rushes to take pictures and films of Halemaumau Crater, which is believed by Native Hawaiians to be the home of the volcanic goddess Pele, as soon as she hears that the lava has returned. “It sounds like a roaring jet engine or crashing ocean waves when the molten rock shoots high like a fountain,” she said. From more than a mile away, she can sense its warmth.
Wei wrote in an email that “every eruption feels like I’m sitting in the front row at nature’s most extraordinary show.”
Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago, is home to Kilauea. On Oahu, it is roughly 200 miles south of Honolulu, the state’s major city.
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What you should know about the most recent eruption of Kilauea:
Fountains of molten rock
According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Ken Hon, magma is entering a lower magma chamber beneath Halemaumau Crater at a rate of roughly 5 cubic yards (3.8 cubic meters) per second straight from the earth’s interior. Magma is forced into an upper chamber as a result of the chamber blowing up like a balloon. From there, it is forced through crevices above earth.
According to Hon, the initial release and any follow-up episodes are all a part of the same eruption because magma has been ascending to the surface along the same route since December.
Lava has been seen shooting up to 1,000 feet in the air in several of them. Part of the reason for the fountains is that lava, which contains gasses that are released during ascent, has been making its way to the surface via tiny, pipe-like fissures.
Heavy magma that had released its gas at the end of the previous episode caps the growing magma supply. Eventually, enough fresh magma builds up to push the degassed magma out, causing it to erupt like a shaken bottle of Champagne before the cork is removed.
Kilauea has seen numerous eruptions of lava fountains shooting into the air for the fourth time in 200 years. The previous time Kilauea used this pattern, there were more episodes: Forty-four sessions of shooting fountains preceded the eruption that commenced in 1983. But those were over a period of three years. Few were able to witness the fountains’ emergence because they were in a remote location.
The other two took place in 1969 and 1959, respectively.
Predicting Kilauea s future
The termination and potential changes of the current eruption are unknown to scientists. In 1983, Kilauea opened a vent at a lower elevation and began spewing lava continuously instead of intermittently from a higher elevation due to magma building up enough pressure. The eruption ceased in 2018 after continuing in different forms for thirty years.
It might happen again. Alternatively, if the magma supply of the current eruption wanes, it may halt near the summit.
With sensors around the volcano that detect earthquakes and minute changes in the angle of the ground, which signal when magma is inflating or deflating, scientists can predict a few days or even a week before lava is expected to appear.
According to Hon, our approach is similar to that of a group of ants attempting to understand how an elephant functions by crawling on it.
Lately, the lava fountains have gotten shorter. According to Steve Lundblad, a professor of geology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the vent may have widened, releasing less pressure on the molten rock.
“Special eruptions will still occur,” he stated. Simply said, they will be broader and lower.
Carrying stories of Pele
Lava flows may seem devastating to some individuals. Lava, however, is a natural resource that solidifies into land and serves as the basis for everything on Hawaii Island, according to Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, executive director of the Edith Kanaka ole Foundation.
Kanahele-Mossman’s organization is named after her grandmother, who founded a renowned hula halau, or school, and was a distinguished practitioner of Hawaiian language and culture. The hula style that H lau o Kekuhi is renowned for is based on the tales of Pele and her sister Hi iaka.
Since the eruption started, Kanahele-Mossman has made a few trips to the crater. At first, she observes with wonder and respect. In order to compare it to the lava in the centuries-old stories that her school enacts, she then notices other specifics. She also makes offerings and recite a pre-prepared ritual while at the crater. She just introduced awa, a kava-based beverage, along with a lei of ferns.
She used the Hawaiian word for song to say, “As the dancer, you are the storyteller and you carry that history that was written in those mele forward.” We are always excited and inspired to continue this practice when we are able to see the eruption that is depicted in the mele.
Visiting the volcano
Due in part to the eruption, park visits have increased in each of the first eight months of the year. Compared to the same month in 2024, April saw 49% more visits.
Jessica Ferracane, a Park representative, pointed out that the most recent incidents had only lasted roughly 10 to 12 hours. The eruption might end before you realize it, so anyone who wants to go should sign up for U.S. Geological Survey alert messages, she added.
Because unstable cliff edges and soil fissures may not be immediately visible, she advised visitors to stick to designated paths and views, as falling could cause fatalities or serious injuries. Little ones should be kept close.
Glass, ash, and volcanic gas can also be hazardous. Bring a flashlight if you plan to visit at night.
