New Lava Eruption at Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano Fills Part of Crater

A new phase of lava activity began on March 25 at Kīlauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii, sending fountains of lava and hot gas into the air inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater. This marks the 15th episode in a series of eruptions that started in December 2024. So far, the activity remains inside the crater, which is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and is closed to the public.

Before the eruption officially started around noon, small bursts of lava were seen coming from the north vent in the crater, starting at about 9:30 a.m. and happening every 15 to 20 minutes. Once the eruption picked up, lava began flowing more steadily and fountains reached 30 to 50 feet high. Around the same time, the south vent became active and started releasing lava too. Together, lava from both vents has now covered about 5% of the crater floor. Though no large lava fountains have been seen yet, scientists expect that could happen based on similar past activity.

Instruments on the ground showed swelling of the volcano just before the eruption began, followed by a shift to deflation once lava started flowing. Earthquake activity has also increased. Gas emissions, especially sulfur dioxide, have been very high—similar to levels seen in earlier eruptions this year. Because wind is light near the volcano’s summit, gas and tiny glass particles known as Pele’s hair may spread into nearby areas, affecting air quality for park visitors and people in surrounding towns.

At this time, all lava activity is limited to the summit area. No changes have been seen in other parts of the volcano, like the East or Southwest Rift Zones. Hazards from this eruption include poor air quality caused by volcanic gas (also known as “vog”) and sharp glass-like particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs. These particles can travel on the wind and fall to the ground in areas downwind from the eruption. People are advised to avoid direct contact with this material. The edge of the crater remains dangerous due to the risk of falling rocks, cracks in the ground, and other hazards, and it has been closed to the public since 2007. Kīlauea is still at a WATCH alert level with an ORANGE aviation warning.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Geological Survey – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS-HVO)

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