Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Summit Eruption’s Episode 53 & New West Vent - August 13, 2026
Following a 4-day slowdown from Friday to Tuesday, rapid inflation resumed on Kīlauea into Wednesday, building quickly to the first overflows of lava from the north vent at 11:20 AM, the beginning of continuous lava output at 1 PM, and the onset of episode 53 lava fountaining at 3:45 PM. The crack or fissure which appeared behind the south vent following episode 52 also overflowed with lava during the buildup and episode and has now been named the “west vent,” and while it produced spatter and flames, only the north vent grew into a lava fountain, peaking around 500 feet or 150 meters high. The south vent also remained active with overflows before and during the episode, which lasted 9.6 hours until its end at 1:23 AM this morning. Keeping to the pattern since episode 44, the single vent produced 4.6 million cubic meters of lava which covered 50% of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
The delay in episode 53’s onset allowed unstable weather to clear from Hawaiʻi Island, replaced by typical trade winds by the time its overflows began. This carried most of the tephra southwest into the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, with little impact on nearby communities. However, the hot emission plume rose to 18,000 feet or 5,500 meters above sea level, and above 10,000 feet or 3,000 meters, “winds were more easterly and transported gas and fine tephra westward toward the summit of Mauna Loa. The plume track largely remained either within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park or over unpopulated areas” according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Since the end of the episode, both vents continue to emit roughly 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of SO2 per day, which while low-level compared to the output during fountaining episodes on the order of 200,000 tonnes, is still much greater than industrial standards and impactful to downwind residents. When trade winds blow, emissions can be carried substantial distances across the south side of the island, wrapping around to the Kona coast as reflected by today’s air quality readings. 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/.
Earthquakes across the island have largely followed recent patterns, although an offshore seismic swarm continues beneath Kamaʻehuakanaloa volcano (formerly Lōʻihi), highlighted by a widely felt magnitude 5.2 at a depth of 7 miles on Tuesday afternoon, that had no effect on the other volcanoes. While it’s not clear what adjustments are happening on the offshore volcano, a much greater number of earthquakes would be expected in association with any eruption, based on the 1996 sequence with over 4,000 events. Another small, shallow swarm on Kīlauea’s southwest rift occurred on Monday, but appears unconnected to events at the summit.
The typical signs of magma recharge are once again evident following episode 53, such that another episode is expected in roughly 2 weeks following the recent pattern. Forecast windows are typically issued by the USGS HVO within a few days following the end of the previous episode, since there is not yet enough data for their inflation models. 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 and discussing live viewer questions as we go.
