December 2024 Summit Eruption

The eruption at Kīlauea can increase or cease at anytime.

The eruption may fluctuate in vigor over the coming days or come to a complete stop without notice. Eruptions are unpredictable and cannot be forecast.

 

On the morning of December 23, Kīlauea volcano began erupting in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. At 2:20 a.m., fissures opened on the caldera floor, releasing lava fountains up to 295 feet high. Lava flows spread across Halemaʻumaʻu crater and a section of the caldera that collapsed during the 2018 collapse events. The eruption was mainly confined to the southwest side of the caldera, and by 9:30 a.m., the lava fountains had decreased to about 230 feet in height.

This eruption, like most others, started with vigorous lava and volcanic gas emission, but has paused several times.

This eruption marks the sixth in the summit caldera since 2020.

Episode Number	Start Date/Time (HST)	Pause Date/Time (HST)	Eruptive Episode Duration	Pause Duration Following Episode
1	December 23, 2024 - 2:20 a.m.	December 23, 2024 - 4 p.m.	14 hours	16 hours
2	December 24, 2024 - 8 a.m.	December 25, 2024 - 11 a.m.	27 hours	1 day
3	December 26, 2024 - 8 a.m.	January 3, 2025 - 8:30 p.m.	8.5 days	12 days
4	January 15, 2025 - 9 a.m.	January 18, 2025 - 10:10 a.m.	3 days	4 days
5	January 22, 2025 - 2:30 p.m.	January 23, 2025 - 4:30 a.m.	14 hours	2 days
6	January 24, 2025 - 11:28 p.m.	January 25, 2025 - 12:36 p.m.	13 hours	2 days
7	January 27, 2025 - 6:41 p.m.	January 28, 2025 - 10:41 a.m.	16 hours	6 days
8	February 3, 2025 - 9:52 p.m.	February 4, 2025 - 7:23 p.m.	22 hours	6 days
9	February 11, 2025 - 10:16 a.m.	February 12, 2025 - 8:43 a.m.	22 hours	7 days
10	February 19, 2025 - 8:22 p.m.	February 20, 2025 - 9:18 a.m.	13 hours	5 days
11	February 25, 2025 - 6:26 p.m.	February 26, 2025 - 7:06 a.m.	13 hours	6 days
12	March 4, 2025 - 7:30 a.m.	March 5, 2025 - 10:37 a.m.	27 hours	6 days
13	March 11, 2025 - 2:36 a.m.	March 11, 2025 - 3:13 p.m.	13 hours	8 days
14	March 19, 2025 - 9:26 a.m.	March 20, 2025 - 1:49 p.m.	28 hours	5 days
15	March 25, 2025 - 12:04 p.m.	March 26, 2025 - 7:10 p.m.	31 hours	5 days
16	March 31, 2025 - 10:57 p.m.	April 2, 2025 - 12:04 p.m.	37 hours	7 days
17	April 7, 2025 - 10:15 p.m.	April 9, 2025 - 9:45 a.m.	35.5 hours	9 days
18	April 16, 2025 - 10:01 p.m. (precursory low-level activity), April 22, 2025 - 3:30 a.m. (fountaining phase)	April 22, 2025 - 1:28 p.m.	10 hours (fountaining phase)	11 days
19	May 1, 2025 - 11:49 a.m. (precursory low-level activity) May 1, 2025 - 9:28 p.m. (fountaining phase)	May 2, 2025 - 5:20 a.m.	8 hours (fountaining phase)	3 days
20	May 5, 2024 - 10:48 a.m. (precursory low-level activity) May 6, 2025 - 5:28 p.m. (fountaining phase)	May 6, 2025 - 9:28 p.m.	4.5 hours (fountaining phase)	ongoing