Hawaiian Volcano Update: Waiting for Kīlauea’s Episode 30, Kamchatka Tsunami & 2018 Eruption Anniversary - July 31, 2025

Another longer than average 11 day-pause (so far) has followed episode 29 of Kīlauea’s ongoing summit eruption. Based on inflation, seismic tremor, degassing and the return of intermittent glow, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory anticipates episode 30 to start anytime through Sunday night. 

Gas emissions and tephra fallout were mostly limited in impact within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, although communities farther downwind continue to live with persistent vog. 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/. All eruptive activity has been confined to Kīlauea’s summit caldera within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, with no increased lava threat to people. There continue to be no significant changes on either of Kīlauea’s rift zones.

The main geohazard on Hawaiian volcanoes over the past week was the Pacific-wide tsunami generated by the 8.8 Kamchatka earthquake on July 29 (local time), with the largest impact on Hawaiʻi Island in Hilo through waves arriving starting around 7pm that surged up to 4.9 feet or 1.5 meters high, a little less than the State maximum of 5.7 feet or 1.7 meters in Kahului, Maui. The 6th largest earthquake measured worldwide since 1900 largely spared Pacific coastal communities, but not before emergency activations and evacutaions took place. We take some time this week to review the tsunami and its impacts, to improve our community’s preparedness for the next time.

Finally, we commemorate the ending anniversary of the main phase of Kīlauea’s 2018 Lower East Rift Eruption by revisiting our “Visual History of the 2018 Eruption”, to share especially with our newer subscribers the event which kick-started our volcano outreach. This also allows to now consider the 2018 sequence in the context of the years of summit crater filling that have followed, and reemphasize our mission to improve preparedness for eruptions and other natural disasters that significantly impact our island communities.

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