Occasional updates on Kilauea Eruptions

Recent Highlights from the "Pu`u `O`o" eruption of Kilauea's East Rift Zone

For most recent updates and detail information, please visit the HVO website.

One Fine Daybreak at the Pu`u `O`o cone

Happy 25th Birthday to Pu`u `O`o on 3 Jan 2008
Read the Honolulu Advertiser News Coverage of the 25th anniversary of the eruption and
view the Photo gallery they put together for the occasion.
Current eruption information for those visiting Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park can be obtained from the National Park Service at 808-985-6000 or at their web site: Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Additional updates, and detailed eruption and background information can be obtained from the USGS Hawaii Volcano Obervatory web site at: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/.
View near real-time images of the Big Island obtained by the NOAA GOES-9 satellite at: http://virtual1.pgd.hawaii.edu/goes/.

Small Explosion Rocks the Kilauea Summit (Halemaumau)

HVO reported that a small explosion occurred at the Kilauea summit in the very early hours of March 19, 2008, making this the first explosion there since 1924. Lava was not erupted during the gas explosion, but lithic blocks were scattered over a 75 acre region in an often visited part of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. A 20-30 m wide crater was formed in the explosion, in the same area where intense sulfur dioxide gas venting has been occuring lately, with incandescent (hot) rocks has been occuring over the past week or so. The largest piece of material ejected in the explosion is believed to measure about a cubic meter. The HVO webvsite has additional information, photos, and a newly installed Halemaumau webcam for your reading and viewing pleasure..

A detailed chronological summary of events during 'episode 55' (1997-2005) of the Pu`u `O`o eruption can be found on the episode 55 page.
PLEASE NOTE: HCV had been posting detailed eruption updates in the 1990s before web capability was established at HVO on the Big Island. HCV discontinued these detailed updates in late 1999 The latest updates can be now obtained from the Kilauea Update page of the USGS-HVO website

Visit our LISTING of Pu`u `O`o eruption episodes for a summary of previous activity and links to previous eruption update pages (where available).

CREDITS and DISCLAIMER:
This synopsis was written by Ken Rubin using provided by the U.S.Geological Survey's Hawaii Volcano Observatory (in the form of formal press releases, personal communications and information from their HVO web site). The US Geological Survey-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is not directly responsible for editorial changes or enhancements made by the HCV (the Hawaii Center for Volcanology) web staff, nor does it claim responsiblity in any way for the interpretive content of these pages.

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Last page update on 19 Mar 2008