On Friday, Episode 33 of Kilauea’s ongoing Halemaumau eruption came to a sudden stop, capping off a fiery display that sent lava fountains soaring up to 700 to 800 feet in the early morning hours, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The eruption began around 3:11 a.m. and ended at 12:08 p.m., lasting just under nine hours. Scientists said the north vent shut down abruptly at 12:08 p.m., while the south vent had gone quiet earlier in the morning after a few intermittent outbursts.
At its peak, lava fountains were the highest seen since July’s Episode 28, with one fountain tilted eastward at a dramatic 60 degrees. Once the eruption settled in, fountains mostly reached 300 to 400 feet.
HVO estimates about 8.25 million cubic yards of lava were erupted during the event, covering roughly two-thirds of the Halemaumau crater floor.
Gas emissions have dropped significantly since the fountaining ceased, though cooling lava flows inside the crater may remain incandescent or move slowly over the coming days.
The Uekahuna tiltmeter recorded about 16.5 microradians of deflation during the event, followed by a rapid switch back to inflation at the summit once the eruption stopped. Seismic tremor intensity also dropped at the same time the north vent shut down.
Kilauea remains at an alert level of watch with an aviation color code of orange.
Source: The Garden Island
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