Kilauea volcano's episode 51 erupts with 950‑foot lava fountains in Hawaii

On July 15, 2026, the summit of Kīlauea volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park experienced episode 51, a continuous lava‑fountaining event that lasted about 8.3 hours. The north vent produced lava fountains reaching roughly 950 feet (290 m) and a plume that rose to an estimated 18,000 feet (5,500 m) above sea level. Peak effusion rates were around 370‑400 cubic yards per second, and an estimated 6.6 million cubic yards of lava covered about half of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.

Crowds gathered at the Uēkahuna overlook to watch the eruption; light tephra and Pele’s hair fell on visitors’ clothing between 10:30 a.m. and noon. The south vent emitted flames and gas jets but did not fountaine. Seismic activity was limited to a shallow magnitude‑2 earthquake and normal tremor patterns. The event was documented by USGS photographs and video, showing the fan‑shaped fountain, lava flows on the crater floor, and the distribution of tephra across park trails.