Kilauea Episode 56 Ends After Lava Fountains Reach 660 Feet; Summit Reinflating
Kilauea volcano in Hawaii County, Hawaii, has completed another round of its summit eruption. The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported in its November 6 daily update that episode 56 of lava fountaining has ended, with fountains reaching about 660 feet (200 meters), and the summit is now reinflating.
The episode began at 12:10 p.m. on November 5 and shut off abruptly at 6:01 p.m., lasting less than six hours. Fountaining was limited to the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu crater and peaked between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Tiltmeter data indicate the episode erupted approximately 8 million cubic yards (6 million cubic meters) of lava, at a peak effusion rate of about 530 cubic meters per second, covering much of the western and northern crater floor with new flows that reached into its eastern end.
Strong surface winds from the northeast carried tephra fallout to the southwest, primarily into the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, while the eruption plume reached 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) above sea level and only trace fallout of Pele's hair was reported west of the summit along Highway 11 and in the town of Pāhala. During fountain episodes, the summit's sulfur dioxide emission rate is typically about 100,000 tonnes per day.
Inflationary tilt resumed the moment fountaining ended, in what the observatory called a typical post-fountaining recovery, and based on previous episodes the next lava fountaining is likely several weeks away. In the November 6 update, Kilauea's volcano alert level remained at WATCH and its aviation color code at ORANGE. The episodic eruption has been under way since December 23, 2024, from vents within Halemaʻumaʻu crater; fountaining episodes generally last less than 12 hours, separated by pauses of two or more weeks, within a closed area of the national park. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：基拉韦厄火山哈莱茂茂火山口北侧喷口的熔岩喷泉（2025年5月第20次喷发资料图）。美国地质调查局 K. Mulliken 摄（公共领域）。 / Photo: Lava fountaining from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu crater during episode 20 in May 2025 (file photo). USGS photo by K. Mulliken, public domain.
