[REVISION HISTORY]

Kilauea summit eruption series 2026 (episode 54)

Updated 6 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-28 05:15 UTC → 2026-09-16 02:59 UTC · added ~~removed~~

On ~~the morning of~~ 25 August 2026, episode 54 of the Kīlauea summit eruption series commenced at the north vent. High lava fountain activity was reported starting at 10:30 a.m. HST, with initial heights of 15 to 20 meters expected to grow significantly. By 27 August, activity had intensified within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater, with lava fountains reaching heights of approximately 500 feet (150 meters). The eruption produced a plume reaching 17,000 feet above sea level. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported that the effusive flow peaked at approximately 220 cubic meters per second, with an estimated 4.0 million cubic meters of lava emitted, covering nearly 30% of the crater floor. The National Weather Service and Hawaii County Civil Defense ~~have~~ issued advisories as wind patterns ~~carry~~ carried volcanic material and gas toward the southwest. Residents in the Kaʻū District, including Pāhala, Wood Valley, Naʻalehu, and Ocean View, ~~may experience~~ were warned of ash fallout and ~~tephra. Authorities have warned that ash acts~~ tephra, which can act as a respiratory and eye ~~irritant, while tephra may~~ irritants or reduce ~~visibility on roadways.~~ roadway visibility. By mid-September, new vents opened north of the established vent complex at the Halemaʻumaʻu summit. These fissures began breaking out along the base of the northwest wall, effusing pāhoehoe lava flows onto the crater floor. The USGS HVO reports that the summit region remains highly pressurized, potentially due to the increased height of the north-south-west vent complex. This pressurization is at a level that could trigger new high lava fountaining. The volcano alert level is currently set to WATCH with an ORANGE aviation color code.

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