Kīlauea Is Erupting Again—and It’s Quite a Show
Lava is fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater on Hawaiʻi Island.
After a three-month pause, Kīlauea on Hawaiʻi Island is erupting again.
The eruption started Monday morning following increased earthquake activity beneath its summit, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It started around 2:30 a.m. HST within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Webcam imagery shows flowing lava and a line of fissures spewing lava fountains at the base of the crater within the summit caldera.
Short video of the current Kīlauea eruption from the west caldera wall. pic.twitter.com/A3kBpJTeUl
— USGS Volcanoes (@USGSVolcanoes) December 23, 2024
Kīlauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located with the 335,259-acre national park. Since 1952 Kīlauea has erupted dozens of times. From 1983 to 2018—35 years!—eruptive activity was nearly continuous along the volcano’s East Rift Zone.
In 2023, Kilauea erupted in January, June and September. A major eruption in 2018 destroyed 700 homes and destroyed areas in the national park. The last time Kīlauea erupted was in September 2024 near the Nāpau Crater; the lava flow covered more than 217 acres and caused a fissure near the crater that measured 1,600 feet.
Kīlauea eruption right now.
Photo: Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey
This most-recent lava activity is confined to the summit caldera at the moment—within a closed area of the national park—and officials are keeping a close eye any any potential threats to the community.
Watch the eruption live:
