USGS webcam view of the eruption at the start of 2025

(BIVN) – The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano continues into the year 2025. 

Vigorous and sustained lava fountaining from vents in the southwest portion of the caldera was on full display on New Year’s Eve and overnight into New Year’s Day. 

Eruptive activity remains confined to Halemaʻumaʻu within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.  

From the most recent analysis provided by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

The current eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is the sixth eruption within the caldera since 2020. These eruptions in the summit region have lasted for about a week to more than a year in duration. This eruption, like most others, started with vigorous lava and volcanic gas emission, but has paused twice and today shows moderate levels of activity. Current fountaining intensity has been associated with deflation of the summit magma reservoir, which in earlier episodes led to pauses in eruptive activity; it is uncertain if these fountaining levels will be sustained. Previous summit eruptions have exhibited vigorous activity in the opening days which can episodically wax and wane, or drop over time to sustainable low effusion rates, or slowly diminish and end.

USGS: “An Aerial view of two eruptive cones in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea’s summit on the morning of December 30, 2024. The fissure fountains reached heights of approximately 30 meters (100 ft) and lava flows continue to cover a portion of the crater floor.” (USGS photo by H. Winslow)

This story will be updated with information from the USGS HVO after the scientists publish their first update of the new year.