image of the early Friday morning lava eruption at Kīlauea from USGS webcam

(BIVN) – Episode 26 in the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano got underway overnight, and continued after sunrise on Friday.

Sustained lava fountains were reported to be “well over 1,000 feet (300 meters)” before 3 a.m., with a plume of over 20,000 feet (6,000 meters).

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued its first Volcanic Activity Notice just before midnight on Thursday evening, when low-level precursory activity started within Halemaʻumaʻu at 11:26 p.m. HST. 

The second Volcanic Activity Notice was issued just a few hours later, announcing the sustained lava fountaining phase of Episode 26 had started at approximately 1:40 a.m. HST on Friday morning, with lava fountains and flows erupting from the north vent.

image of the early Friday morning lava eruption at Kīlauea from USGS webcam

At the time of the start of the high fountaining, scientists reported winds blowing from the north direction, “which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and tephra from the lava fountain may be distributed south of Halema’uma’u caldera.” 

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

The Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All activity is occurring within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.