Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Summit Eruption’s Episodes 6 & 7 - January 30, 2025
Just over one week ago, the 5th episode of Kīlauea’s summit eruption started on Wednesday, January 22nd then ended after roughly 14 hours on Thursday the 23rd, covering close to half of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
The 6th episode began on Friday the 24th then ended on Saturday the 25th after 13 hours. As in episode 5, only the north vent erupted while the south vent was mostly inactive, but enough lava was still erupted to again cover close to half of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. Fountains reached maximum heights of over 150 feet, or 45 meters.
The 7th episode spanned from Monday the 27th to Tuesday the 28th, lasting 16 hours. The south vent reactivated and contributed to a flood of lava that yet again covered almost half of the crater floor. North vent fountains peaked around the same height, while south vent fountains averaged 100 feet, or 30 meters.
The next episode is expected as soon as tomorrow, Friday the 31st, absent any change in the recharge rate.
Each outburst renewed high emission rates of volcanic gas previously estimated around 10,000 tonnes of SO2 per day, also dropping fresh Pele’s hairs (strands of volcanic glass) at a nearby overlooks within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and neighboring communities. With the eruption fully contained within the summit crater in the National Park, the gas and particulates which form vog pose the greatest threat to people, especially those with respiratory sensitivities, and especially with variable winds the island has experienced in recent weeks. Vog hazards are not new to island residents, and the usual precautions and preparations apply – more information at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.
The ongoing summit eruption, even with its episodes and pauses, continues to relieve stresses on Kīlauea’s rift zones, which have remained relatively quiet with no major seismicity or ground deformation since more than a week before the current eruption. The volcano’s south flank still shows its typical seismicity, mostly unchanged during the eruption.
Maunaloa continues to inflate quietly its established post-eruption pattern, with nothing new to report. As usual, we summarize the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, annotating the presentation on screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions.
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