Lava fountains stop after 7 hours in Kilauea’s summit caldera


COURTESY USGS
This image from a U.S. Geological Survey webcam at Halemaumau crater shows lava fountains over 600 feet high in Kilauea’s summit caldera today.


UPDATE: 3:45 p.m.
Lava fountaining within Kilauea’s summit caldera has stopped after just after 7 hours today.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that “episode 14” of the ongoing eruption ended at 1:49 p.m. when fountaining at the south vent stopped. Fountains from the north vent ceased 11 minutes earlier, scientists said.
Lava flows from the latest episode covered about 75% of the floor of Halemaumau within the southern part of the caldera, Kaluapele. Episode 14 lasted 28 hours and 23 minutes with the last 7 hours and 19 minutes consisting of fountains up to 600 feet high from the south vent, according to HVO.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
Lava fountains reaching more than 600 feet high returned to the summit caldera of Kilauea today.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that “episode 14” of the ongoing eruption began Wednesday morning with lava flow “effusion” from the north vent of Halemaumau crater. Sustained fountaining began today at 6:30 a.m. from the south vent and reached heights of 500 to 700 feet later in the morning.
The current on-again, off-again eruption began Dec. 13 with each episode of Halemaumau lava fountaining lasting for 13 hours to 8 days, and the episodes being separated by pauses in eruptive activity for less than 24 hours to 12 days, according to HVO.
Kilauea’s current eruption in Halemaumau crater within Kaluapele, the summit caldera, began on Dec. 23 and has remained within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, with no significant activity along Kilauea’s east and southwest rift zones.
Hazards from the eruption include vog, or volcanic smog, downwind of Kilauea, Pele’s hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele’s hair are strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining, according to HVO.
Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org Opens in a new tab.