HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY, Hawaii Hawaiis Kilauea volcano roared back to life and resumed its eruption Wednesday as dramatic video provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) showed lava shooting hundreds of feet into the air.
According to an update from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the eruption of Kilauea within Kaluapele (summit caldera) resumed just after 9 a.m. local time Wednesday when a small lava flow was observed coming from the north vent.
Less than an hour later, the eruption intensified when low-level fountaining began with more rigorous lava flow activity.
The HVO said that the small, sluggish lava flow marked the start of the fourth episode of the ongoing summit eruption that has been observed.
At the time of its most recent update on Wednesday, the HVO said that about 10% of the floor of Halemaumau had been covered with new lava, and based on video, the lava fountain appeared to be about 200 feet high.
Scientists said that the slow rate of eruptive activity at the start of this most recent eruptive episode was shorter than the start of the second (3-4 hours) and third (2.5 days) eruptive episodes. Lava fountains erupting from Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on January 15, 2025. AP
The HVO said equipment continued to record inflation under Halemaumau around 9 a.m. local time Wednesday and could be showing signs that it was leveling off.
However, earthquake activity increased when the fountaining started but was lower than in the first two episodes of high lava fountains. 10% of the floor of Halemaumau had been covered with new lava as of Wednesday morning, according to experts. AP
If that continues, the HVO said that lava fountain heights could increase as more gas-rich lava flows. Its impossible to determine how high those lava fountains could reach, but the HVO said that prior episodes produced fountains more than 200 feet high that lasted up to 24 hours.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and it has been intermittently erupting within the summit caldera since December 2024.