Kīlauea Eruption Update — Episode 55 of lava fountaining! After nearly two months since episode 54 of lava fountaining (Aug. 25, 2026), episode 55 of Kīlauea summit lava fountaining began at 3:19 a.m. HST this morning, October 17, and is ongoing. This is the 55th lava fountaining episode in the Kīlauea summit caldera eruption in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that began on December 23, 2024. It occurs following weeks of intermittent spatter, low-dome fountains, and lava flows from the eruptive vent complex. The lava fountain from the north vent reached an estimated 700 feet high above the vent around 5 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time. The eruptive plume is reaching an estimated 25,000 feet above sea level. According to the National Weather Service, winds are blowing from the north-northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the south-southwest. Fountaining episodes typically last 12 hours or less, but ash can remain in the air for longer depending on wind and weather conditions. Please stay aware of hazards and rely on official updates from USGS, National Weather Service, and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. 🎥 Video of episode 55 on October 17, 2026. #Kilauea #Eruption #Lava
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) October 17, 2026
#Kilauea: Episode 55 continues, this is the strongest episode (in terms of tremor intensity) since Dec 2024, even surpassing the start of the eruption and Episode 43 (Ep 43 produced 540m tall fountains)! 📸usgs https://t.co/exOIa0AEld
— Artanis (@Artanis04) October 17, 2026
