KILAUEA VOLCANO LIVE STREAMING: Episode 52 eruption sends 300-foot lava fountains into the sky

Hawai'i's Kilauea volcano has entered Episode 52 of its ongoing eruptive activity, resuming lava fountaining less than two weeks after its previous eruption. The latest episode began within Halema'uma'u Crater, located at the summit of Kilauea inside Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. According to the US Geological Survey's Hawai'ian Volcano Observatory (HVO), lava fountains first appeared at approximately 7:10 PM, initially reaching heights of about 100 feet before intensifying to nearly 300 feet as the eruption progressed. Before the sustained eruption began, scientists observed six brief lava overflow events lasting between 10 and 30 minutes each around 1:56 PM. Continuous lava overflows then developed, marking the official start of Episode 52.


According to the latest USGS volcanic update, the lava fountain at Kilauea's north vent has grown to roughly 300 feet (90 meters) in height and continues to intensify. Scientists also reported increasing volcanic tremor, a sign of heightened underground activity, while the summit has entered a phase of rapid deflation as magma is released during the eruption. Meanwhile, advancing lava flows have spread across approximately 10% of the floor of Halema'uma'u Crater, reflecting the eruption's expanding footprint.



Kilauea has been erupting in a series of intermittent episodes since December 23, 2024, alternating between active lava fountaining and quiet periods during which magma slowly recharges beneath the summit. Following Episode 51, which concluded on July 15, 2026, the volcano entered another pause marked by ground inflation - a sign that magma was once again accumulating below the surface. That inflation phase ended with the onset of the latest eruptive episode, continuing the volcano's now-familiar cycle of brief but powerful summit eruptions.