Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii erupted on December 23, 2024, after a three-month dormancy period. The eruption spewed lava fountains from fissures near the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, covering over 650 acres. Scientists are monitoring the eruption and studying its activity patterns.
After three months of dormancy, Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano erupted dramatically on December 23, 2024, spewing fountains of lava from fissures near the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The lava fountains soared up to 300 feet, rapidly spreading over 650 acres with an average depth of 10 feet. This ongoing eruption marks the sixth event within the summit caldera, Kaluapele, since 2020.
By the morning of December 23, lava fountains soared up to 300 feet, rapidly spreading over 650 acres with an average depth of 10 feet. The eruption has since cycled through multiple episodes of activity and pauses, with U.S. Geological Survey reporting active eruptions as of January 3, 2025.This eruption began after magma chambers beneath Kīlauea showed increased pressurization in late 2024. Lava fountains initially erupted with dramatic intensity, followed by a phenomenon called 'drainback,' where lava flows back into the vent, increasing pressure again.This alternation of inflation and deflation in the magma chambers has caused the eruption to pause and resume multiple times.Scientists hypothesize that variations in lava gas content and drainback dynamics are driving these stop-and-start patterns. Dense, gas-poor lava forms a 'plug' that repressurizes the magma chamber, leading to subsequent episodes of activity. Newsweek contacted the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory via email for further comment. Why This Matters Kīlauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and its eruptions impact local communities and ecosystems. The release of volcanic gases, especially sulfur dioxide, poses significant health risks, creating a toxic haze known as vog that can drift far downwind.Beyond the immediate effects, understanding Kīlauea's dynamic activity helps scientists improve predictions for future eruptions and assess global volcanic processes.What to Know An image released by the NASA Earth Observatory from Landsat 8 captured vivid false-color images highlighting the glowing red-hot lava within Kīlauea's caldera
KILAUEA VOLCANO HAWAII ERUPTION VOLCANIC ACTIVITY USGS
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