The Kīlauea summit eruption is paused. Overnight, the south vent showed persistent glow, while intermittent glow was visible from the north vent. Steady inflationary tilt is being recorded by summit tiltmeters. Models suggests that episode 37 could occur between November 20 to November 24.
Summit Observations:
Glow was observed from both vents overnight. The glow varied from weak to strong, with the south vent glow generally stronger. Tremor spikes continue every 5-10 minutes and appear to be related to gas pistoning deeper in the vents.
UWD recorded nearly 2 microradians of inflationary tilt in the past 24 hours and has recorded almost 13 microradians of inflationary tilt since episode 36 ended November 9.
Plumes of gas from both the south and north vents are visible this morning and sulfur dioxide (SO) gas emissions remain at eruption pause levels, typically between 1,200 and 1,500 tonnes per day.
Episode 36 began at approximately 11:15 a.m. HST on November 9 and ended at 4:16 p.m. HST, after erupting for 5 hours. The north vent stopped earlier, at 3:38 p.m. HST, and the south vent gradually decreased in height and volume until it stopped erupting at 4:16 p.m. HST. South vent fountains reached heights of about 1,200 feet (360 meters) and north vent fountains reached heights of about 750 feet (230 meters). Episode 36 fountains produced just under 11 million cubic yards (about 8 million cubic meters) of lava. The combined average eruption rate was over 600 cubic yards per second (500 cubic meters per second) from the dual fountains. Lava flows from the fountains covered about 80 percent of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded 23.5 microradians of deflationary tilt during episode 36. The end of the episode was coincident with a rapid change from deflation to inflation at the summit and a decrease in seismic tremor intensity.
The following notices provide more information about episode 36:
The following links provide more information about the current eruption that began on December 23, 2024:
Rift Zone Observations:
Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone, with no significant earthquake activity in the past 24 hours. SO emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.
Analysis:
Continued inflation, glow from the vents, and tremor all indicate that another fountaining episode is likely. Inflation is continuing at a relatively high rate compared to other repose periods. Inflation models indicate onset of episode 37 fountains is likely to occur between November 20 and November 24. This forecast may change if inflation slows significantly. Previous episodes have been preceded by hours to days of precursory overflows of degassed magma from the vent.
The current eruption has been characterized by episodic lava fountaining not seen in any eruptions since the 1983-86 episodic fountains at the beginning of the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption. Lava fountains and flows have erupted from two vents within Halemaʻumaʻu crater that we refer to as the north vent and south vent. Each of the previous fountaining episodes lasted from a few hours to over a week and was accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses between the lava fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate switch from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes. Lava fountaining episodes have occurred approximately once per week to once every several weeks since the start of the current eruption on December 23, 2024.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai'i County Civil Defense Agency about eruptive hazards.
Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
Hazards:
This episodic eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas -- primarily water vapor (HO), carbon dioxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO) -- are one major hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO is continuously released from the summit during an eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. SO and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/
Another major hazard is fallout of Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele's hair is strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity that can be carried well over 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the vent. Other hot glassy volcanic fragments (tephra) including volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, and reticulite can fall on the ground within 1-3 miles (1-5 kilometers) of the eruptive vent(s), with the highest concentrations immediately downwind of the vent(s). Various volcanic fragments have fallen on Highway 11 west of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at times, depending on wind and eruption conditions. Strong winds may waft light particles, including Pele's hair, to greater distances downwind. Once on the ground, Pele's hair can sometimes cluster and tangle together, giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair deposition is dependent on lava fountaining activity and wind conditions. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to Pele's hair and other glassy volcanic fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation and can also contaminate catchment water supplies. More information about how Pele's hair, its hazards, and what to do is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards. A recently updated Frequently Asked Questions document that includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.pdf
Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope, and during this eruption flows have been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera.
Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea's caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007.