Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Summit Eruption’s Episode 46 - May 7, 2026

Episode 46 of Kīlauea ongoing summit eruption came and went during the workday this past Tuesday, May 5, from 8:17 AM to 5:22 PM. Over those 9 hours, about 4.6 million cubic meters of lava were erupted from the north vent only, with lava fountains peaking around 650 feet or 200 meters in height and feeding flows that covered roughly 60% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. Precursory activity began the previous afternoon with ~24 overflows from the north vent and ~21 from the south vent, following 4 days of persistent small earthquakes in the summit region.

Despite the relatively low fountains, because the vents sit only about 260 feet or 80 meters below the crater combined with surface-level winds from the southeast, tephra produced by the fountains escaped the caldera across its northern rim, forcing Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to close the area past the Kīlauea Military Camp. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, “tephra as large as 6 inches (15 centimeters) was observed falling on Highway 11”,  “between mile markers 30 and 34, and in adjacent communities” while “fine ash and Pele’s hair were reported as far away as Mountain View.” The eruption plume reached 20,000 feet or 6,000 meters above sea level, where upper level winds “directed the upper level plume toward the north and northeast.”

Gentle winds in the days since episode 46 have allowed volcanic emissions to drift across much of Hawaiʻi Island and beyond to other Hawaiian islands. While winds are expected to moderately strengthen, the onshore-offshore wind pattern on the Kona coast has caught and concentrated much of the vog through today. Both vents together continue to emit roughly 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of SO2 per day, which while low-level compared to the output during fountaing episodes on the order of 200,000 tonnes, is still much greater than industrial standards and impactful to downwind residents. Both during and between episodes, vog and tephra remain the most common hazards for island residents, and the usual precautions and preparations apply, especially for those with respiratory sensitivities – more information at https://vog.ivhhn.org/. 

As usual, we summarize the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory as well as our broader community, annotating the presentation on-screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions.