Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts yet again

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted again on Thursday, marking the 45th episode of its kind over the last year and a half.

Lava began to burst from the volcano in the early morning, around 1:30 a.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. A livestream of Kilauea, which is operated by USGS, showed bright-orange molten streams shooting up from the ground more than 18 hours later.

The fountains from Kilauea’s northern vents reached 1,000 feet high at their peak, said the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in one of multiple updates issued since the current eruption started. They hovered at around 500 feet, and, later, 700 feet, for several hours shortly after the episode initially got underway.

Kilauea’s overall plume — which refers to the lava, gas, steam and ash expelled from within the volcano — climbed to at least 16,500 feet above ground level about an hour into the eruption, according to the observatory. That was its highest point this time.

Located inside the Big Island of Hawaii’s sprawling Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is among the most active volcanoes on Earth. It has been erupting periodically since December 2024, drawing tourists to the massive protected area to see its lava flows soar overhead in real life.

Because the eruptions have been confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kilauea, they have not posed threats to homes, buildings or people on the island, officials have said. Most episodes since December 2024 have lasted no longer than one day, according to USGS.

The agency has issued a volcano watch and “orange” aviation alert for this episode, meaning the eruption “poses limited hazards” and either has no ash emissions associated with it, or minor ones. The National Weather Service also issued an ashfall advisory overnight for communities downwind of the volcano.

Officials noted that the volcanic gas produced in each eruption can cause respiratory problems once it enters the atmosphere. The interaction pollutes air downwind, in a process known as “vog.” They also warned that fragments of volcanic ash, pumice and other glassy materials created by Kilauea’s lava fountains may fall far from the site of the volcano, depending on their size. 

“Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these fragments, which can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation,” USGS said. The fragments are called “tephra.”

An eruption in March at Kilauea prompted temporary closures at the national park and along a nearby highway, as Hawaii officials opened a shelter for residents and tourists who may have been affected by the closures or the tephra falling from the sky. Officials said the shelter was only necessary for a short period of time, but significant ash fell during some previous fountaining episodes.