December 2024 Summit Eruption

The eruption at Kīlauea can increase or cease at anytime.

The eruption may fluctuate in vigor over the coming days or come to a complete stop without notice. Eruptions are unpredictable and cannot be forecast.

 

On the morning of December 23, Kīlauea volcano began erupting in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. At 2:20 a.m., fissures opened on the caldera floor, releasing lava fountains up to 295 feet high. Lava flows spread across Halemaʻumaʻu crater and a section of the caldera that collapsed during the 2018 collapse events. The eruption was mainly confined to the southwest side of the caldera, and by 9:30 a.m., the lava fountains had decreased to about 230 feet in height.

This eruption, like most others, started with vigorous lava and volcanic gas emission, but has paused 13 times.

This eruption marks the sixth in the summit caldera since 2020.

Episode Number	Start Date/Time (HST)	Pause Date/Time (HST)	Eruptive Episode Duration	Pause Duration Following Episode
1	December 23, 2024 - 2:20 a.m.	December 23, 2024 - 4 p.m.	14 hours	16 hours
2	December 24, 2024 - 8 a.m.	December 25, 2024 - 11 a.m.	15 hours	1 day
3	December 26, 2024 - 8 a.m.	January 3, 2025 - 8:30 p.m.	8.5 days	12 days
4	January 15, 2025 - 9 a.m.	January 18, 2025 - 10:10 a.m.	3 days	4 days
5	January 22, 2025 - 2:30 p.m.	January 23, 2025 - 4:30 a.m.	14 hours	2 days
6	January 24, 2025 - 11:28 p.m.	January 25, 2025 - 12:36 p.m.	13 hours	2 days
7	January 27, 2025 - 6:41 p.m.	January 28, 2025 - 10:41 a.m.	16 hours	6 days
8	February 3, 2025 - 9:52 p.m.	February 4, 2025 - 7:23 p.m.	21 hours	6 days
9	February 11, 2025 - 10:16 a.m.	February 12, 2025 - 8:43 a.m.	22 hours	7 days
10	February 19, 2025 - 8:22 p.m. HST	February 20, 2025 - 9:18 a.m. HST	13 hours	5 days
11	February 25, 2025 - 6:26 p.m. HST	February 26, 2025 - 7:06 a.m. HST	13 hours	6 days
12	March 4, 2025 - 7:30 a.m. HST	March 5, 2025 - 10:37 a.m. HST	27 hours	6 days
13	March 11, 2025 - 2:36 a.m. HST	March 11, 2025 - 3:13 p.m. HST	13 hours	8 days
14	March 19, 2025 - 9:26 a.m. HST	March 20, 2025 - 1:49 p.m. HST	29 hours	6 days
15	March 25, 2025 - 12:04 p.m. HST	March 26, 2025 - 7:10 p.m. HST	31 hours	ongoing

 

December 2024 Summit Eruption

14 Images

This photo gallery captures the eruption of Kīlauea, which began at approximately 2:20 a.m. on December 23, 2024. Lava flows from vents in the southwest caldera have spread across much of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater surface, showcasing the dynamic volcanic activity that continues to reshape the landscape.