At Kilauea, 'an Event for the History Books'

Kilauea isn't done making history. The Hawaiian volcano early Monday logged the 48th burst in its ongoing Halema'uma'u eruption, edging past a 1980s benchmark to set a new record for "the most fountaining episodes ever recorded for an episodic fountaining eruption," the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said, per WYFF. Though episodes are separated by pauses, they are all occurring at the same vents in Halema'uma'u crater, meaning they make up the same eruption, per the AP. Episode 48 kicked off around 4:40am local time, with lava shooting 500 to 650 feet into the air and feeding a plume that climbed above 20,000 feet, prompting an ashfall advisory for nearby areas.

The pace is what stands out: the current eruption, which began Dec. 23, 2024, has produced roughly one episode every 10 days over about 18 months, per AccuWeather. The 1983-86 Pu'u'o'o eruption, in contrast, took about three and a half years to reach 47 events. Repeated fountains have reshaped the summit, with some vents now more than 500 feet high. Though the observatory said Monday's activity ended abruptly after "9 hours of continuous lava fountaining from the north vent," scientists say there is no indication Kilauea is winding down, with USGS calling the ongoing activity "an event for the history books."