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Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, is at it again.
The infamous crater has been spurting fountains of lava on and off since the end of last year, and on May 25, it shot a fiery jet of molten rock over 300 meters (1,000 feet) into the sky.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) livestreamed a video of the uncontrolled outburst – the volcano’s 23rd tantrum since December 2024, and the biggest of the bunch.
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All in all, Kīlauea’s latest blowup lasted for just over six hours. Beginning at 4:15 pm Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, thin jets of lava began erupting from the north vent, turning from sporadic bursts to sustained fountains of lava.
Within half an hour, the situation at the north vent had escalated quickly, and a lava fountain reached its pinnacle of 300 meters.
Soon after, in a south vent, other fountains of lava reached 250 meters in height.
“Large lava flows erupted from both vents and covered about half of Halema’uma’u crater floor,” reads a USGS update.
By 10:25 pm that night, both vents had calmed down.
Luckily, for now, all of the eruptions have been contained within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawai’i. But that doesn’t mean surrounding populations won’t face fallout.
The eruptive plume of ash, volcanic glass, and rock produced by Kīlauea on May 25 reached at least 1,500 meters into the sky.
Scientists at the USGS say their primary concern is the volcanic gas, which could travel downwind and impact human health, possibly causing respiratory issues if concentrations in the air are high enough.
Eruptions like these, however, can also produce strands of volcanic glass, called Pele’s hair, which can also travel on the wind and cause skin and eye irritation.
The volcano has quietened down for now, but in its current phase it seems to be kicking up a fuss every week or so.
There’s no signs a larger eruption is growing, but another outburst of lava is likely on the horizon.
