4 days ago
Kīlauea could put on another spectacular show soon
VOLCANO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Kīlauea could put on another spectacular show in the coming days.
On May 25, episode 23 left witnesses in awe as lava fountains reached 1,150 feet, which is the highest fountaining since the eruption began in December 2024.
'As soon as episode 23 ended, the activity we saw on the surface stopped but immediately pressure started building up again underneath the ground,' explained Dr. David Phillips, USGS Hawaiian Volcano observatory deputy scientist in charge.
He said they use tilt meters and GPS to measure the shape of the ground.
'And we can see the inflation happening right now and that's telling us that the pressure is building up again,' he continued. 'It's the same pattern we've seen before, all previous 23 episodes, so that tells us that yes a 24th episode is coming very soon.'
And he says it's likely to begin in the next one to five days.
'It's a higher probability that's when it will start, but it's not guaranteed,' Phillips said.
Kīlauea began erupting back on Dec. 23, and has had periodic fountaining episodes ever since.
He said the last time there were similar fountaining eruptions like this in the east rift zone was in 1983 at the beginning of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption.
'The last time we had fountains like this at Kīlauea summit was actually back in 1959,' he added.
He said that eruption lasted one month and fountains were almost 2,000 feet tall.
Experts are not sure if the upcoming episode will mirror Sunday's episode.
Phillips said it's just like watching your favorite TV show.
'Just like you never know what's coming next on your favorite episode on TV, we may get something similar, it may be higher, lower we'll find out when episode 24 arrives,' he said.
Overnight, USGS reported intermittent glow with occasional spatter in both vents and says strands of volcanic glass also known as Pele's hair are present through the summit area of the park and nearby communities.
'It's nice to look at, but it can be very dangerous because it's shards of glass and it can cut you, don't ingest it, and don't rub it if it gets on your car,' he continued.
He said all activity is currently at the summit, and he says any episode could be the last so if you're interested in seeing it, make sure you check out the park in the coming days.
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