Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano erupts in stunning 150m lava fountain

A world famous volcano in Hawaii has come to life this week in a fiery eruption, sending towering plumes of molten lava 150m into the clouds.

Kilauea volcano* shot out tall fountains of lava for the 32nd time in less than a year since activity began in December 2024, putting on a spectacular show that lasted more than 13 hours.

Before then, it hadn’t gushed lava in repeated episodes since 1983.

Lava began spouting from the north vent off Halemaumau crater* shortly after midnight on Tuesday, local time. By 6:35am, molten fountains were shooting up to 100m into the sky.

By midmorning, the south vent and a third vent had also started shooting lava, making the eruption even more powerful.

The dramatic show lasted 13.4 hours in total, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The tallest lava fountains erupted from the north vent and reached 150m in height.

The spectacular display was powered by a lower magma chamber* beneath Halemaumau crater, which receives magma directly from the Earth’s interior at a rate of about 3.8 cubic metres per second, said Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge Ken Hon.

This rapid influx* swells the chamber like a balloon, forcing magma upward and eventually out through cracks at the surface.

The lava fountains of some volcanoes have soared more than 300m into the air, created by magma trapped with gases as it rises through narrow, pipelike vents.

The process has been likened to shaking a bottle of fizzy drink – once enough pressure builds, the lava shoots out in bursts.

This latest eruption marks only the fourth time in 200 years that Kilauea has produced repeated lava-fountain episodes.

The last time was in 1983, when 44 separate events were recorded over three years – though they occurred in remote areas where people couldn’t visit to view them.

Scientists monitored the eruption closely as it happened, but said they couldn’t predict how it would end.

“Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works,” Mr Hon said.

Although the lava was safely contained within the summit crater* of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park*, videos shared online showed the massive crowds that came to watch the fiery show.

“I was there all morning! So fun!” posted one TikToker.

“Amazing show!” commented another.

But the eruptions were not without danger. A 30-year-old visitor from Boston fell 9m from a cliff near the Byron Ledge Trail while trying to get a closer view of the lava fountains.

Luckily, a tree broke his fall, and the man wasn’t seriously injured.

Park officials reminded people of the dangers of veering off marked trails, urging visitors to stay on set paths, avoid cliff edges and fissures*, and bring proper footwear and lighting.

Kilauea, located about 320km south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and continues to amaze – but also scare some people.

“Hot molten lava. Nah. That’s a hard pass. I would be nowhere near that,” wrote one TikTok viewer.

While the eruption has ended for now, an update from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said high levels of volcanic gas, which mainly consists of primarily water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide* (SO2), could react in the atmosphere to cause vog (volcanic smog). Vog can cause respiratory problems and other health issues.

The Observatory has also warned about the risk of “Pele’s hair”, which are strands of volcanic glass, and other volcanic fragments like volcanic ash, pumice, scoria*, and reticulite*. This debris could be carried by wind and fall on the ground within 1-5km of the eruptive vent, posing a hazard for those in its path. Pele’s hair can also cause skin and eye irritation as well as contaminate water catchment supplies.

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GLOSSARY

• Kilauea volcano: the youngest and most active volcano in Hawaii, thought to be between 210,000 and 280,000 years old. Kilauea is also the most active volcanic mass in the world
• Halemaumau Crater: a pit crater within the larger Kilauea crater on the volcano
• magma chamber: an area under the surface of the Earth where liquid rock pools up before erupting out of the volcano
• influx: in inflow of magma
• summit crater: the bowl shaped hole at the top of a volcano where lava erupts in a fountain
• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: protected parkland in Hawaii that includes the Kilauea and Mauna Loa active volcanoes
• fissures: splits or cracks in the earth
• sulfur dioxide: a toxic, bad smelling gas
• vog: dangerous air pollution that occurs when volcanic gases are formed by the interaction of water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide with the atmosphere. This creates a haze of fine particles that are harmful to breathe in, including sulfuric acid
• scoria: a volcanic rock that forms from fast cooling lava
• reticulite: a volcanic rock that has a lot of air bubbles, making it look like foam

EXTRA READING
Bali volcano grounds Aussie flights
What is cold lava?
Iceland volcano still spewing lava

QUICK QUIZ
1. How many times has Kilauea shot out fountains of lava over the past year?
2. When was the last time it had repeated lava-fountain eruptions?
3. How tall was the highest fountain of lava recorded during this eruption?
4. How long did the eruption last for?
5. What are two hazards of volcanic eruptions that linger after the lava has stopped spurting?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Create an infographic
Create a detailed infographic or set of diagrams that will help other kids understand the most important facts about the eruption. You are not allowed to use any words.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science

2. Extension
In the story, Ken Hon says “Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works.” What does this comment tell you about the work of volcanologists and the challenges that they face trying to understand eruptions like Kilauea?

Use information from the story and perhaps your research skills to write paragraphs answering this question.

Time: allow at least 40 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.