Alert Level: WATCH, Color Code: ORANGE 2025-06-20 20:58:41 UTCHVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice
Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Issued: Friday, June 20, 2025, 10:58 AM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2025/H291
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii
Volcanic Activity Summary: Episode 26 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 10:25 a.m. HST on Friday, June 20, when lava fountains and flows stopped erupting from the south vent. The episode consisted of about 8 hours of continuous lava fountaining. The north vent stopped erupting at approximately 10:07 a.m. HST. The south vent stopped erupting at approximately 10:25 a.m. HST, marking the end of the episode. Lava fountains reached heights of well over 1,000 ft (300 m) during this episode. Volcanic gas emissions have greatly decreased. Lava flows from this episode on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu within the southern part of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) will continue to exhibit slow movement and incandescence as they cool and solidify over the coming days. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded more than 18 microradians of deflationary tilt during this episode. The end of the eruption was coincident with a rapid change from deflation to inflation at the summit and a decrease in seismic tremor intensity. Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since the eruption started on December 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days. No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue a VAN/VONA at the start of the next eruptive episode. If possible, HVO will also issue a VAN/VONA beforehand at the onset of low-level activity precursory activity. Daily updates will be published each morning as regularly scheduled. Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Recent Observations:
[Volcanic cloud height] Unknown
[Other volcanic cloud information] Sulfur dioxide emission rate is typically 1,200-1,500 tonnes/day between eruptive episodes
[Ballistics] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Lava flow] N/A
Hazard Analysis:
[General hazards] Pele's hair and tephra may affect areas downwind of eruptive vents
[Ash cloud] N/A
[Ashfall] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Pyroclastic flow] N/A
[Mud flow] N/A
[Volcanic gas] Usually 1,200-1,500 tonnes/day SO2 between eruptive episodes
[Lava flow] May continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as the flows cool and solidify over the coming days
Remarks: Hazard Analysis: This episodic eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO2 is continuously released from the summit during an eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. SO2 and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/ Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele's hair is strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity. Volcanic fragments can fall on the ground within a few hundred yards (meters) of the eruptive vent(s), or downwind of the vent(s). Strong winds may waft light particles, including Pele's hair, to greater distances downwind. Once they are on the ground, Pele's hair can sometimes cluster and tangle together, giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair deposition is dependent on lava fountaining activity and current wind conditions. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation. More information about how Pele's hair, its hazards, and what to do is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards. A recently updated Frequently Asked Questions document that includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs.pdf Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope, and during this eruption flows have been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera. Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea's caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007. For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.
Contacts: askHVO@usgs.gov
Next Notice: A VAN/VONA will be issued at the start of the next eruptive episode. If possible, HVO will also issue a VAN/VONA beforehand at the onset of low-level activity precursory activity. Regularly scheduled daily updates for Kīlauea are posted on the HVO website at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates More Information:
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Book: Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Book: Hawai'i's Volcanos: Legends and Facts
Book: Hawai'i Volcano Watch: A Pictorial History, 1779-1991
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Book: Hawai'i's Kilauea Volcano: The Flow to the Sea
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Video: 2003 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano
Video: 2004 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano