Hawaiian Volcano Update: Prolonged Buildup to Kīlauea’s Ep. 55 - September 10, 2026

Precursory overflows of lava ahead of episode 55 began at 12:45 PM on Labor Day Monday, September 7, and half a week later, lava fountaining has not yet begun. A fourth deflation cycle began at 3 PM on Monday, again interrupting and delaying the build-up until inflation resumes, with ground tilt showing neither inflation nor deflation from the initial drop until this time of writing. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s forecast window is already open, continuing through tomorrow and likely to be extended until inflation resumes. Weather this past week hampered visibility for monitoring, but still a total of 50 overflows have been detected through combination of visual, thermal, and seismic data.

Variable winds these past few days resulting from passing storms have brought vog into nearby communities, but wet trade winds have already returned to reestablish the typical pattern. 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. Between episodes, the 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. 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/. 

In the buildup to episode 55, only the north vent has overflowed, but glow and spatter have been spotted from both the south and west vents – notable given the images of an apparently blocked south vent one week ago. Overflows from the buildup have buried the final traces of the 2018 downdropped block with pieces of the collapsed Crater Rim Drive, which was largely covered during the last episode. 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.

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