May 5, 2025: Pistoning Action Returns to Kilauea Volcano
USGS Update (May 1, 2025 9AM HST): Episode 18 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended on April 22. Episode 19 is likely to start between now and Sunday or Monday depending on when inflation of the summit resumes.
Kīlauea's current eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) began on December 23, 2024. There have now been 18 episodes separated by pauses in activity. All eruptive activity remains within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No significant activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s hair) and tephra that have impacted Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.
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. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.
Analysis:
The current eruption has been characterized by episodic fountaining not seen in any eruptions since the 1983-86 fountaining episodes of Puʻuʻōʻō. Fountains and lava flows have erupted from two vents that we refer to as the north vent and south vent. Each of the previous 18 fountaining episodes lasted from a few hours to over a week and have been accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses between the fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate change from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes.
The rapid rebound of recorded UWD and SDH tilt from deflation to inflation at the end of episode 18 along with glow and occasional spatter from the north and south vents suggest another episode is likely. The pattern of inflation and deflation changed during episodes 17 and 18 making determining the likely window for the start of episode 19 fountaining more difficult. Calculations assume that the inflation pattern has returned to the long-term modeled level, which is several microradians less than the peak inflation of episode 18. The strong glow from both vents and spattering from the north vent indicate magma is very close to the surface. Inflation of the summit stalled yesterday afternoon slowing the progress towards episode 19. Assuming that inflation resumes at prior rates, episode 19 is likely to start sometime between now and Sunday or Monday at the latest if the eruption has returned to modeled behavior. If the summit needs to inflate to the episode 18 maximum, the onset of a new episode may be delayed.
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Sources
A special thanks to all the hardworking scientists, government officials, companies and private citizens for the work that they do which makes this live stream possible:
Apau Hawaii Tours ( / @apauhawaiitours ) - Cam Q
Windy.com - so2 and wind data and maps
Google Earth - maps
USGS - cameras, earthquake data, and activity reports
Smithsonian Institute - Volcanic activity
RaspberryShake.com - earthquake activity
VolcanoDiscovery.com - Research
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Sound is not live and is recorded from a previous eruption.
Main Source: USGS