The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported Kilauea volcano began its 17th episode on Monday at 10:15 p.m., continuing the ongoing eruption. But at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, episode 17 ended when low fountaining at the south vent stopped.

During episode 17, fountains from the south vent sustained heights of 50-200 feet. High lava fountains up to 1,000 feet, which have been seen in previous episodes, did not occur during this episode. 

What You Need To Know

  • Episode 17 lasted 35.5 hours and consisted of sustained fountains from the south vent and minor north vent activity 

  • The previous 16 episodes of the eruption eventually produced intense lava fountaining, but during this episode lava fountains only reached heights up to 200 feet

  • HVO noted emissions of SO2 gas are elevated

  • Also, HVO noted visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and residents of nearby areas should watch out for Pele’s hair and other small fragments of volcanic glass and tephra

The current eruption, which began on Dec. 23, 2024, has already produced 16 episodes of lava fountaining, each separated by brief pauses in activity. These spectacular bursts of lava originate from two vents within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater: the north vent and the south vent.

On Monday around 9:30 p.m., the glow from the south vent increased, indicating the gradual rise of lava in the vent before the eruption started. At 10:15 p.m., lava overflowed from the south vent, with low spatter fountains reaching heights up to 30 feet, and spread across the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. 

Fountains from the south vent sustained heights of 50-200 feet, before ceasing at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday. During episode 17, the north vent's activity was minor, stopping around 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday. The north vent pond collapsed at some point on Tuesday night. 

The previous 16 episodes of the eruption eventually produced intense lava fountaining. Episode 16 produced lava fountains that rose higher than 1,000 feet. However, lava fountains did not reach similarly high heights in episode 17.

During episode 17, lava flows covered over 40% of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu within Kilauea caldera. 

HVO noted emissions of SO2 gas are elevated. During recent episodes, SO2 emissions have reached 50,000 tonnes per day or more, with similar amounts expected to accompany any high fountaining activity that occurs during Episode 17. 

Also, HVO noted visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and residents of nearby areas should watch out for Pele’s hair and other small fragments of volcanic glass and tephra carried in the plume, as they were during episode 16. 

Editor's note: This article has been updated with information via HVO regarding the end of the episode. (April 9, 2025)

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