Kilauea’s unprecedented lava fountains reveal new volcanic gas dynamics

Since a December 23, 2024 eruption inside Halema’uma’u crater, Kilauea has entered a phase of repeated lava fountains, totaling 54 events by September 2026, with some jets soaring up to 457 meters. While occasional fountains are normal, the clustering of bursts over minutes to weeks is extremely rare, having occurred only three times since 1823. Geophysicist Ashton Flinders and colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory analyzed continuous seismic, acoustic, deformation, and gas data to identify patterns.

Prior to each fountain, the caldera floor inflated and tilted, signaling magma gathering. A consistent sequence of minute-long seismic bursts emerged before the fourteenth eruption, pointing to trapped gas pressure cycles. Minimal carbon dioxide emissions contrasted with modest sulfur dioxide release, weakening the hypothesis that a carbon-rich foam drives the eruptions. The study provides a preliminary model of how gas dynamics fuel Kilauea’s spectacular displays.