Kīlauea Volcano Releases Over 300-Foot Lava Fountain as it Erupts Again
The Kīlauea volcano of Hawaii released another burst of lava in late August 2025, unloading a fountain for 12.6 hours in a row. This is the last episode of an eruption in progress which started on December 23, 2024.
US Geological Survey (USGS) scientists Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) first observed the magma relaxing on the surface and splashing from the northern vent of the crater of the Halemaʻummaʻu pit in the early hours of Saturday morning.
This volcanic activity preceded the start of the 31st episode, which started at 2:04 p.m. HST on Saturday afternoon after the observatory detected the presence of lava fountains, which reached 330 feet (100 meters) at the highest. As the eruptive episode ended at 2:52 a.m. on Saturday August 23, 2025, the volcano had released around 8.4 million cubic meters of lava.
“It’s enough lava to fill around 3,500 Olympic swimming pools,” explains Katie Mulliken, geologist and external coordinator of commitment to the USGS HVO. The lava remained in the Caldera summit and there was no report of injuries related to the episode.
Which caused the eruption of Kīlauea, once again
This is the last in a series of episodes that have been detected since December 2024 and have varied in length, ranging from a few hours to more than a week.
“These eruptive episodes are caused by the magma provided in Kilauea from the hot spot below,” explains Mulliken. Magma amas the rooms under the top, causing an increase in pressure. “Finally, the lava bursts and delicates the system. While the magma is on the surface, the magmatic gas exsolve quickly like bubbles – just like when you open a bottle of soda or champagne,” continues Mulliken.
Gas plays a key role in the release of the volcano in the lava fountains, some of which can extend hundreds of meters in the sky. The maximum length of the lava fountain detected last weekend was 330 feet (100 meters) high but unusually, it was leaned east at an angle of 45 degrees.
Scientists observed “inclined” eruptions in the same way on Kīlauea before – once in 1959 and again in 1969 – which have since been attributed to obstructions in the vents which caused the release of the lava to an angle – a bit like a pipe when you cover the opening with a finger.
Learn more: The activity at Mount Spurr in Alaska suggests that the volcano is about to burst
Calm before eruption
Periods of eruptive activity like these were followed by breaks, some as short as a few days, others last more than two weeks. The event for last weekend was preceded by an episode on August 6, 2025. USG scientists predict that the next episode will occur during the first week of September, although changes in the inflation rate (the swelling caused by the magma accumulating in underground tanks) could lead to a delay.
These episodes can be described as part of the same eruption because the lava is released from the same vent, “indicating that there is a plumbing system established below the surface,” explains Mulliken. Even between the eruptive episodes, the vents continue to release gas and the magma moves near the surface.
As for the duration of this particular eruption, Mulliken explains that it depends on the duration of the duration of the volcano to maintain its current balance, which allows it to release the pressure accumulated during successive eruptive episodes.
While the eruption continues, HVO geologists will continue to follow its progress. Until now, more than 130 million cubic meters of lava have been released since the start of the eruption.
Learn more: Could a zombie volcano show signs of activity – could it come out of the grave?
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