Kīlauea Eruption Update — Episode 55 of lava fountaining!    After nearly two months since episode 54 of lava fountaining (Aug. 25, 2026), episode 55 of Kīlauea summit lava fountaining began at 3:19 a.m. HST this morning, October 17, and is ongoing. 

This is the 55th lava fountaining episode in the Kīlauea summit caldera eruption in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that began on December 23, 2024. It occurs following weeks of intermittent spatter, low-dome fountains, and lava flows from the eruptive vent complex. The lava fountain from the north vent reached an estimated 700 feet high above the vent around 5 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

The eruptive plume is reaching an estimated 25,000 feet above sea level. According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the north-northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the south-southwest.  Fountaining episodes typically last 12 hours or less, but ash can remain in the air for longer depending on wind and weather conditions. 

Please stay aware of hazards and rely on official updates from USGS, National Weather Service, and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. 

🎥 Video of episode 55 on October 17, 2026. 

#Kilauea #Eruption #Lava

An intrusion shook Kīlauea’s summit last night, September 30. 
Dozens of earthquakes, rapid ground deformation, and shifting activity beneath Halemaʻumaʻu showed that magma was making a new path underground. 
Scientists are watching closely and on an overflight this morning, saw that lava is still visible within the north vent. Learn more: usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/n… 🎥: Video shows lava in the north vent at the summit of Kīlauea during an overflight on October 1, 2026. 
#Kilauea #VolcanoWatch #Intrusion

Kīlauea eruption episode 49 summary 🌋 Episode 49 lava fountaining began after approximately 5 hours of precursory lava overflows from the north vent that started at 4:10 a.m. HST on the morning of June 14. Several subsequent overflows from the north and south vents followed. Consistent north vent dome fountaining started at 8:14 a.m. HST and then steadily escalated in vigor and height until it transitioned into the start of episode 49 fountaining at 9:36 a.m. HST. 🌋North vent lava fountaining reached a maximum height of about 700 feet (210 meters) by around 10:30 a.m. HST. Over the next several hours the fountain height gradually declined, and it was estimated about 300 feet (90 meters) high about 1 hour before the episode ended after about 7.5 hours at 5:05 p.m. HST on June 14. 🌋The instantaneous effusion rate peaked at about 415 cubic yards (320 cubic meters) per second between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. HST, with an average effusion rate of 260 cubic yards (200 cubic meters) per second for the entire fountaining episode. An estimated 6.5 million cubic yards (5 million cubic meters) of lava erupted. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded about 15.5 microradians of deflationary tilt during episode 49. 💨 The north vent lava fountain fed a plume that reached a maximum height of about 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above sea level. Winds were out of the northeast for most of the eruption causing the plume to move to the southwest during the most energetic part of the eruption. The plume track largely remained within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park with most tephra fall in the closed area. ⛔️ The USGS kept the Kīlauea alert level/aviation color code at WATCH/ORANGE throughout the episode because fallout was not extensive and did not last very long. After the episode ended, USGS lowered Kīlauea to ADVISORY/YELLOW reflecting that volcanic activity had decreased significantly but continues to be closely monitored for possible renewed increase. 📹 Video clip shows Kīlauea episode 49 lava fountaining on June 14, 2026. #Kilauea #Lava #Eruption