At 6:15pm on December 9, 2011, lava from the September 21st fissure first entered the ocean at East Ka'ili'ili in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, 4.5 miles from the end of Chain of Craters Rd, and 3.5 miles from Kalapana Gardens. Lava flows are also vigorously active all across the coastal plain, leaking from the newly formed lava tube, AND are visible flowing down the hillside in large rivers from a distance as well. Please contact us for more information on current accessibility! [read all]

Lava flows from Pu`u `O`o vent's newest fissure, which began erupting in September, have finally advanced onto Kīlauea's coastal plain and are accessible by foot! It is a 2-3 hour hike EACH WAY over very uneven terrain, typically a 6 hour round-trip from Kalapana. ...more [read all]

Since the last breach of Pu`u `Ō`ō vent to the west and accompanying crater floor collapse (subject of our last update), the magma supply to the area has continued with a few hiccups. Last night, lava flows continued to spill out from the vent to the west, until shortly after midnight when it appears a new breach on the east side of the vent developed. Now, a big lava flow is surging to the southeast, and we are establishing a new viewing trail from Kalapana to see this activity on Pu`u `Ō`ō's east flank! Contact us for more details! [read all]

The National Park yesterday reopened the Napau trail for day hikes, which allows for views of the eruption site from about 1mi/2km away (See link below for a few pictures from last night, click back through the set). It's a minimum 10mi/16km round-trip hike crossing frozen lava, native rainforest, and bits of old road, only for the most adventurous! Our expert guides can lead you there for these epic sunset views, weather permitting, just let us know if you're interested! [read all]

At 2pm local time, the western base of Pu`u `O`o cone began to erupt a new lava flow, which has advanced at least 3km/1.8mi downslope in the first 2 hours. Meanwhile, Pu`u `O`o's crater floor and perched lava lake have collapsed, sending up clouds of brown ash. There is no earthquake swarm associated with this new breakout, suggesting a collapse of the old edifice as opposed to a new gas-fed fissure, as the Kamoamoa Eruption earlier in March. Other supporting evidence is a smaller magnitude change in tilit and no sustained high-amplitude tremor at the eruption site. ...more [read all]

Kīlauea volcano continues to pressurize with new magma, uplifting the floor of Pu`u `O`o crater on the order of 1 meter / 3 feet PER DAY over the last month! This uplift has allowed lava flows to emit from the base of the inner crater walls, filling the neighboring craters (MLK & Puka Nui) to overflowing to the southwest starting last night! The inner crater lava flows show up via webcam (check our link below), with visible cracking occuring as the whole crater floor is pistoned upwards! ...more [read all]

Magma continues to inflate Kilauea volcano and feeds two rising lava lakes, one in Halema`uma`u Overlook Vent (within 125m/410ft of the crater rim) and another within Pu`u `O`o Vent (within 52m/170ft of the east crater rim). Local officials continue to forbid direct access to both sites, but strong glow is visible from both craters on a nightly basis from legally accessible points. The question now is whether either crater will fill enough to spill over, or whether the increased pressure will cause an adjustment and possible eruption somewhere else, as it did this past March! Thanks to the USGS-HVO, there are near-live webcams into both craters, with spectacular views day and night (see links below). Stay tuned! [read all]

Lava returned to the crater floor of Pu`u O`o crater this morning, covering it with a small lava lake. The new eruptive episode marks the end of one of the longest pauses in the eruption so far. It followed a day of inflation, first at the summit, then under the eastern rift zone, indicating the rise of underground magam filling the plumbing system again. [read all]

The east rift zone, site of the recent spectacular eruptive episode in Napau crater, is still pausing. No lava is being erupted at present. Also the lava level inside the Halema`uma`u vent has dropped and the summit has been deflating in recent days. Is this the end of one of history's longest-lived eruptions documented ever, or simply a pause? The following weeks will probably tell. ...more [read all]

After several days of activity, the Kamoamoa fissure eruption in the Napau crater on Kilauea's E rift zone has stopped or paused. Lava emission stopped late on March 9 local time. Both the rift zone and summit are showing deflation and seismic tremor and SO2 output were diminishing, indicating a temporary exhaustion of magma supply in the shallow reservoir. ...more [read all]

A major change in Kilauea's eruption is in progress starting several hours ago. ...more [read all]

It's an exciting time on Kilauea, with high magma pressure forcing lava to the surface in four locations: the Overlook Vent in Halema`uma`u (within 90m of lowest rim, causing intense night-time glow visible from a distance), within Pu`u `O`o crater, from the TEB vent and satellitic ponds, and at the flow-front in Kalapana, where active lava is typically present and legally accessible to our clients. This excess pressure has also caused many earthquakes in the upper east rift zone, the rising of the Halema`uma`u lava lake, and a collapse of the pyroducts carrying lava to the ocean, where the sea entry has ceased for now. Join us to learn more about the ongoing eruption of Kilauea! [read all]