20 episodes (and count) in Kīlauea

(Bivn) – The outbreak on the summit of Kīlauea remains a break, although the signs of the next volcanic episode on webcams are already visible.

Overnight after 7 p.m. HST could see “prominent flames and temporary splashes”. “Flames were also seen before Episode 19 and in January,” commented the USGS Hawaiian Vulcano Observatory. “Yellowish flames in volcanic ventilation slots are due to the burning of hydrogen gas.”

In the article of the Vulcano Watch this week, HVO geologists Downs and Natalia Deligne withdraw the previous 20 episodes of the current outbreak. You write:

On December 23, 2024, the eruptiv activity at the summit of Kīlaua began again with the first in the 20 discrete lava fountain episodes. Many episodes had two fountains – two at the same time – a rare event in Kīlauea and worldwide. The last episode 20 ended on May 6, 2025 at 9:28 p.m. HST.

Relatives lavastrom catchers, sometimes impressive heights, impressed the crowds that shine the Hawai'i Vulcanes National Park to see the episodes -along with those who watched from home to two USGS -Hawaiian -Bervatory -Livestreams (V1Cam and V2Cam). The duration of the semi-regular lava fountain was around 4.5 hours (episode 20) up to 8.5 days (episode 3). However, many (11 of the 20) of the well periods took less than 24 hours. As soon as LAVA fountain start, you usually reach heights of 30–100 m above the ventilation slots. The highest fountains that have been measured in these episodes so far reached over 1,000 feet (300 m) during episodes 15 and 16 in March and April 2025.

These lava folks have fed lava flows, some more extensive than others who together filled the crater formed during the collapse of the 2018 summit. In some places near the ventilation slots, the lava flows are almost 200 ft (60 m) thick and they have 816 hectares (330 hectares).

Purchasing intervals – or the break between episodes – have between 16 hours and 12 days. Between the episodes, intermittent splashes and occasional lava flows occurred, as happened in Episode 18 twice when Lava flows were spent from the ventilation slots for a few hours a few hours before the start of the Lava fountain.

USGS -Webcam shows high lava folks on the Kīlauea summit

These impressively high lava -nonuntes have created Tephra (Lava fragments) and Peles hair (fibers of volcanic las). The distribution of Tephra is controlled by predominant wind patterns, whereby Fallout zones are against the wind of the ventilation slots. Madorious winds blowed in the southwest, and this has caused Tephra to accumulate in the closed area of ​​the Hawai'i volcano national park, which can reach more than 6.5 feet (2 m). During the winds of Slack and Kona, the hair of Tephra and Pele fell on the summit region around the Vulkandorf, the Vulkangolfplatz and on Highway 11 near Nāmakanipaio Campground.

Almost all eruptive activities were obtained from two ventilation slots at the base of the western wall of the Halemasuma'u crater within Kaluapele (the summit Caldera). These are called north and south ventilation slots and have alternated in dominance during the episodes. Sometimes the South ventilation generated spectacular lava fan lines, which were over 1,000 feet 300 m high, while northern ventilation mainly occurred on a low level splash or lava ponding, but there were reversations of this pattern. Since Episode 14, the gas piston – the rhythmic increase and fall of the LAVA column – has been observed in both ventilation openings before the fountain by hours to a whole day and is usually visible in the V1CAM livestream.

Each episode with a high lava fountain coincides with the beginning of a sharp deflation on the summit. Before the inflation of the inflation in UWD and SDH tin meters, which are used to measure inflationary and deflationary signals near Uēkahuna and south of Kaluapele, the quick deflation deviate. At the same time, the seismic tremor quickly increases when more liquid moves through the lines to break out of the ventilation slots. A quick turnaround of deflation to inflation and waste of seismic tremors marks the end of an episode.

USGS: “In the late evening on April 1st, Hawaiian Vulcano Observatory observed geologists the ongoing Kīlauea summit from Kūpina'i Pali (Waldron -Ledge). This view of the active eruptive openings was recorded by the lens of a laser removal device. (USGS photo by M. Zoeller)

These spectacular lava folks were easily visible by many of the publicly accessible overlooks in Hawaii Vulcanes National Park. Nevertheless, there are dangers during the volcanic activity for those who enjoy the sights. Shifting winds blow about increased concentrations of volcanic chisels, in particular strong smelling sulfur dioxide (SO2), and Tephra and Peles hair, which mostly consist of volcanic las. The gases and small glass -like particles can irritate breathing systems and peles hair can form splinters under the skin.

While the summit of Kīlauea continues his LAVA bringing episodes, HVO will maintain its continuous monitoring and live streaming in order to document the development of eruption, inform and approve the public about the ongoing volcanic activities.