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Kīlauea’s Latest Summit Episode Pauses After Nearly 10 Hours of 1,300-Foot Lava Fountains

USGS says activity paused after a high-output burst confined to the summit.

Overview

  • Episode 42 began on February 15 at about 13:50 HST and ended at 23:38 HST, lasting 9 hours and 48 minutes with sustained dual-vent fountaining.
  • Peak fountains reached roughly 400 m (about 1,300 feet) and instantaneous effusion rates approached 780 m³ per second, according to USGS.
  • An estimated 11.4 million m³ of lava covered about half of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor while flows stayed within the crater and the southwest summit caldera.
  • A volcanic plume rose to about 10,600 m (35,000 feet), keeping the aviation color code at ORANGE, and light tephra was reported in Pāhala, Punaluʻu and Nāʻālehu.
  • HVO reports elevated sulfur dioxide emissions that produced vog, maintains a WATCH alert level, and continues real-time monitoring and public updates.