Eruption update for Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii

Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been putting on quite a show for 25 years! This page contains a map of that activity, the an archive of previous updates, and some really cool pictures taken by the USGS (I’m too chicken to get as close as they do!).

Click here for the most recent volcano activity.

I will add the latest updates at the top of the page, just under the maps of the volcano.

Map of Kilauea Volcano

The light red color in the middle shows the lava path on May 29, 2008.

On the right is a zoomed in map of Kilauea showing current lava flow in light red. Notice the fate of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Kalapana Gardens subdivision was destroyed in the 1990s. Thank Heavens all I have to worry about in St. Louis is tornadoes and the occasional earthquake!

Scroll down to see photos of the flowing Kilauea lava.

Eruption Photos of Kilauea - June 2008

June 30th 2008: Check out this explosion of incandescent particles around dusk where the lava is entering the sea at the Waikupanaha entry. You can also see the large white steam cloud formed when hot lava hits the cool sea water.

June 13th 2008: This is a picture of a geologist preparing a camera to take time-lapse photos of the lava flowing through an underground lava tube to the sea. The camera will peak into the lava tube through a skylight (hole in the lava tube where the orange lava shows through). Notice how close she is to the part of the tube that collapsed to form the skylight!!

Eruption Photos of Kilauea - May 2008

May 23rd 2008: Steam plume rises out of Halema`uma`u crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In the background you can see Mauna Loa peeking out of the clouds.



Below is a gas plume from Pu`u `O`o Crater.



May 16th 2008: Photos of lava entering the sea from Kilauea volcano. How cool is the picture on the right? That is lava gushing out of lava tubes into the ocean. As the lava cools, the Big Island of Hawaii grows. In most places land is eroding away but in Hawaii new land is forming everyday!



April 9th 2008: A second explosion from the new vent in Halema`uma`u Crater increased the size of the vent. Compare the two photos below. At first everyone it was an earthquake. That must have been quite an explosion!



March 19th 2008: Since 1924, this is the first explosion in Halema`uma`u crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park occurred! The debris from the explosion covered part of Crater Rim Drive, destroyed part of the crater overlook, and covered part of the trail and parking area.

March 5th 2008: Pahoehoe lava flows over an old gravel road. Pahoehoe lava is slow moving lava that looks a bit like cake frosting with swirls of relatively smooth lava. Notice the fiery leading edge of the lava. This is molten lava. The lava farther in the distance is covered with a crust of cooled lava and therefore looks black or grey.



January 2008: Lava flows through the Royal Gardens subdivision. This lava travels from the top of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii down the hillside, through the subdivision, to the sea.



This lava is traveling above ground. When it touches trees, shrubs, or houses they immediately burst into flames. Often, this type of lava stream will form a crust of cooled lava on top of the hot lava stream. Eventually, this forms a lava tube through which the molten lava continues to travel. Lava is only visible exiting lava tubes, usually into the ocean.

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