Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano roared back to life on Friday, hurling arcs of lava nearly 100 feet (30 metres) into the sky from its summit crater, in what marked the 31st eruption episode since December 2024.
The activity began with steady spattering from a northern vent before lava overflowed onto the crater floor and later surged into towering fountains by the afternoon. According to news agency AP, officials confirmed the outburst was restricted to the summit, with no homes at risk.
For those inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park , the spectacle offered a front-row seat. Volunteer photographer Janice Wei described the sound as “a roaring jet engine or crashing ocean waves” and admitted she could still feel the heat from over a mile away.
“Every eruption feels like I am sitting in the front row at nature’s most extraordinary show,” she was quoted as saying by AP.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory explained that magma is rising at a rate of nearly 3.8 cubic metres per second, inflating underground chambers until pressure forces molten rock above ground.
“It’s like a Champagne bottle being uncorked,” said scientist-in-charge Ken Hon as cited by AP, who noted that the same conduit has been carrying magma to the surface since December.
Some eruptions have sent jets soaring more than 1,000 feet, though recent fountains appear shorter as the vent has widened. “We’re still gonna have spectacular eruptions,” said Steve Lundblad, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, adding that “they’re just going to be wider and not as high”.
The event also holds deep cultural resonance. Native Hawaiian practitioner Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, who leads the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, said lava flows are not just destructive but the very land on which Hawaiians live.
Linking eruptions to the goddess Pele, she performs chants and presents offerings such as awa and fern lei at the crater. “To be able to actually see that eruption that’s described in the mele, that’s always exciting to us and motivates us to stay in this tradition,” she explained.
Tourism has already surged, with park visitation in April rising 49% compared with the same month last year. Authorities, however, urge caution, unstable cliffs, volcanic gases and ash remain serious hazards.
Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane advised visitors to sign up for USGS alerts, noting many episodes last only 10–12 hours.
Kilauea, one of the planet’s most active volcanoes, has followed this explosive pattern only four times in the past two centuries, with notable eruptions in 1959, 1969 and a prolonged series that began in 1983.
Scientists say it’s uncertain how long the current eruption will last. “Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works,” Hon remarked.
The activity began with steady spattering from a northern vent before lava overflowed onto the crater floor and later surged into towering fountains by the afternoon. According to news agency AP, officials confirmed the outburst was restricted to the summit, with no homes at risk.
For those inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park , the spectacle offered a front-row seat. Volunteer photographer Janice Wei described the sound as “a roaring jet engine or crashing ocean waves” and admitted she could still feel the heat from over a mile away.
Kilauea Eruption Hawaii
— Chyno News (@ChynoNews) August 23, 2025
The eruption at Mt Kilauea continues with lava now flowing onto the crater floor.
The United States Geological Survey stated that the earlier inclined fountains were caused by temporary obstructions within the eruptive vents.#Kilauea
🎥 USGS pic.twitter.com/ytZfm262ts
“Every eruption feels like I am sitting in the front row at nature’s most extraordinary show,” she was quoted as saying by AP.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory explained that magma is rising at a rate of nearly 3.8 cubic metres per second, inflating underground chambers until pressure forces molten rock above ground.
“It’s like a Champagne bottle being uncorked,” said scientist-in-charge Ken Hon as cited by AP, who noted that the same conduit has been carrying magma to the surface since December.
Some eruptions have sent jets soaring more than 1,000 feet, though recent fountains appear shorter as the vent has widened. “We’re still gonna have spectacular eruptions,” said Steve Lundblad, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, adding that “they’re just going to be wider and not as high”.
The event also holds deep cultural resonance. Native Hawaiian practitioner Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, who leads the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, said lava flows are not just destructive but the very land on which Hawaiians live.
Linking eruptions to the goddess Pele, she performs chants and presents offerings such as awa and fern lei at the crater. “To be able to actually see that eruption that’s described in the mele, that’s always exciting to us and motivates us to stay in this tradition,” she explained.
Tourism has already surged, with park visitation in April rising 49% compared with the same month last year. Authorities, however, urge caution, unstable cliffs, volcanic gases and ash remain serious hazards.
Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane advised visitors to sign up for USGS alerts, noting many episodes last only 10–12 hours.
Kilauea, one of the planet’s most active volcanoes, has followed this explosive pattern only four times in the past two centuries, with notable eruptions in 1959, 1969 and a prolonged series that began in 1983.
Scientists say it’s uncertain how long the current eruption will last. “Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works,” Hon remarked.
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