Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts Again, Sending Lava 30 Metres into the Air

AP

n this image releaThe Kilauea volcano spews lava on Friday, 22 August 2025.

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed erupting on Friday, hurling arcs of lava 30 metres (100 feet) into the air and across part of its summit crater floor.

It was Kilauea’s 31st outburst since December – a fitting frequency for one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Activity at the north vent of the summit crater began with continuous spattering in the morning, followed by an overflow a few hours later, before fountains of lava shot upwards by the afternoon.

Over the years, Kilauea has produced even more powerful displays, with some fountains exceeding 300 metres (1,000 feet). Scientists believe the lower heights observed in recent months may be due to changes in the vent structure: wider passages reduce pressure, which in turn lowers the eruption column.

The eruption remained confined to the summit crater and posed no threat to homes. A fortunate few residents and visitors were able to watch the spectacle from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Kīlauea is situated on Hawai‘i Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago, around 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Honolulu, the state’s largest city on O‘ahu.

Towering fountains of molten rock

Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, explained that a lower magma chamber beneath Halema‘uma‘u Crater is currently receiving magma directly from the Earth’s interior at a rate of about 3.8 cubic metres (five cubic yards) per second. This inflates the chamber like a balloon, forcing magma into an upper chamber, from where it escapes to the surface through cracks.

Since December, magma has been rising to the surface along the same pathway, meaning the initial outburst and subsequent episodes form part of a single continuing eruption. Many of these episodes have seen lava fountains shooting into the air, sometimes exceeding 300 metres.

The fountains occur because magma contains gases that are released as it rises through narrow vents. As fresh magma builds up beneath older, degassed magma, pressure mounts until the heavier, gas-depleted magma is forced aside, sending the new magma surging skyward – much like a bottle of champagne being uncorked after shaking.

This is only the fourth time in two centuries that Kīlauea has produced repeated episodes of high lava fountains. The previous such eruption, which began in 1983, featured 44 separate sessions over three years. Two earlier examples occurred in 1959 and 1969.

What next for Kilauea?

Scientists remain uncertain how the current eruption will evolve or end. In 1983, magma pressure forced open a lower-elevation vent, leading to continuous lava effusion rather than sporadic high fountains. That eruption lasted in various forms for 35 years, ending in 2018.

Something similar could occur again – or the present eruption may stop at the summit if its magma supply dwindles.

With the aid of seismic sensors and instruments measuring tiny shifts in the ground, volcanologists can usually forecast fresh lava activity a few days in advance.

Recent fountains have been somewhat shorter. Steve Lundblad, a geology professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, suggested the vent may have widened, reducing pressure.

“We will still have spectacular eruptions,” he said. “They’re just likely to be broader and not as tall.”

Sources: Associated Press, The Mirror



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