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    All About Hawai'i Volcanoes and Earthquakes
    The Big Island of Hawai'i is composed of five volcanoes... Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea.

    Hualālai and Mauna Loa are expected to erupt again. Mauna Kea can still be active though there are no current indications. The current active volcano is Kilauea which has been spewing forth lava pretty much nonstop since it began - and is among the worlds most active volcanoes.

    Currently lava comes out at the Pu'u 'O'o vent inside the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Depending on conditions the lava is quite often accessible and offers visitors an experience of a lifetime.

    Lava flowing from Pu'u 'O'o normally flows through lava tubes towards the ocean 6 miles away. About two miles before the ocean the lava encounters a 1,200 foot cliff which is flows over, and then two to three miles of coastal flats until it pours into the ocean. Often the lava is visible on the Pali (cliff), on the coastal flats, and at the ocean entry.

    In the huge Kilauea Summit caldera itself site Halema'uma'u Crater. On March 19, 2008, a vent opened in the crater causing a portion of Crater Rim Drive to be closed. The vent is still open but lava continues to remain below the surface of the vent.

    We have much to say about the volcano and the lava - this page lays out the various sections that you can visit.

    Be sure to read the section on Cautions and Warnings as it contains very important information about volcano safety.

    Cautions & Warnings
    Current Activity
    Earthquake Info
    Finding Hot Lava
    Cooking In Lava
    Fun With Lava
    Types Of Lava
    Lava Photo Gallery
    Pu'u 'O'o History


    Current Volcanic Activity

    The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory located in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park provides a daily update of the eruption activity at Pu'u 'O'o and down on the coastal flats. This is a good place to check to see what is currently going on.

    We extract the daily report from USGS and have it for you below along with some of the most recent USGS pictures of the flow. Please visit the USGS website for more details and photographs.

    Alert Level: ADVISORY, Color Code: YELLOW 2024-03-12 18:58:44 UTC

    HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 8:58 AM HST (Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 18:58 UTC)


    KILAUEA (VNUM #332010)
    19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
    Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
    Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

    Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Due to continued low rates of seismicity, HVO will issue weekly Kīlauea updates on Tuesdays until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed.

    Summit Observations:  Low levels of seismicity beneath the summit continues. Earthquakes are dispersed widely from the summit to the southwest. There were 40 earthquakes recorded around the summit over the past week. Depths beneath the summit are 0.5-5 miles (1–8 km) below the surface, and magnitudes are typically below M2.0.

    Ground deformation remains low with tiltmeters near Uēkahuna and Sand Hill showing only modest changes over the past week.

    Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emission rates have remained low since October 2023. An SO2 emission rate of approximately 85 tonnes per day was recorded on March 1.

    An Information Statement about the recent intrusion can be found here: USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-02-09T05:11:03+00:00.

    Rift Zone Observations:  Seismicity in Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone remain low. No unusual activity has been noted along the middle and lower sections of Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. We continue to closely monitor both rift zones.

    Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations downwind of Puʻuʻōʻō in the middle East Rift Zone—the site of 1983–2018 eruptive activity—continue to be below detection limits for SO2, indicating that SO2 emissions Puʻuʻōʻō are negligible.

     

    Hazard Analysis: Levels of volcanic gases (sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide) can remain locally hazardous even when Kīlauea is not erupting. Local concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and/or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) may persist in downwind areas, and residents may notice odors of these gases occasionally. Significant hazards also remain around Halemaʻumaʻu from crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.
     
    Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. 
     
    The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea Volcano. 

    Next Notice: HVO will issue weekly Kīlauea updates on Tuesdays until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed. 



    More Information:
    Kīlauea activity summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8862
    Kīlauea webcam images: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/webcams
    Kīlauea photos/video: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/photo-video-chronology
    Kīlauea lava-flow maps: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/maps
    Kīlauea FAQs: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/faqs



    The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa.



    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    askHVO@usgs.gov



     



    Volcano Books and Videos

    coverBook: Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
    coverBook: Hawai'i's Volcanos: Legends and Facts
    coverBook: Hawai'i Volcano Watch: A Pictorial History, 1779-1991
    coverBook: Mauna Loa: World's Largest Active Volcano
    coverBook: Hawai'i's Kilauea Volcano: The Flow to the Sea
    coverVideo: Volcano - Fountains of Fire
    coverVideo: Lava Flows and Lava Tubes
    coverVideo: 2003 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano
    coverVideo: 2004 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano

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    Nene photo in top graphics by Brenda Zaun