In nine hours, Kīlauea released 16 million cubic meters of lava and sent a cloud of ash beyond 30,000 feet.
By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron
USGS
Join our community of science lovers!
The Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii erupted Tuesday in a spectacular nine-hour eruption in which it spewed fountains of lava about 1,300 feet into the air, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The eruption generated “significant heat and ash” the USGS said, with about six inches of “tephra” — chunks of volcanic material, ranging from glass-like particles to rocks and ash — accumulating on a nearby golf course.
Some glassy material, called “Pelé’s hair” because of its strand-like structure, traveled to the town of Hilo, the USGS said. Hilo is about a 30 mile drive. During Tuesday’s eruption, Kīlauea released about 16 million cubic yards of lava and sent a plume of ash that reached more than 30,000 feet.
On supporting science journalism
If you enjoy this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribe. By purchasing a subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
A 24-hour GIF of a live webcam view of the Kīlauea caldera and Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
USGS
Kilauea was bursting regularly since December 2024; Tuesday’s fiery demonstration was the 43rd “eruptive episode“since then.
A GIF of a thermal image of Halemaʻumaʻu from the western edge of the summit caldera.
USGS
Kīlauea is a shield volcano, meaning it is flatter and shorter than the classic conical peak of a composite volcano. But what these volcanoes lack in height, they make up for in size: much wider than they are tall, shield volcanoes are the largest volcanoes on Earth. These volcanoes often produce slow lava flows. Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and broke for as long as humans have existed to document it.
USGS
It’s time to defend science
If you enjoyed this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been defending science and industry for 180 years, and we are currently experiencing perhaps the most critical moment in these two centuries of history.
I was a Scientific American subscriber since the age of 12, and it helped shape the way I see the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of respect for our vast and beautiful universe. I hope this is the case for you too.
If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage centers on meaningful research and discoveries; that we have the resources to account for decisions that threaten laboratories across the United States; and that we support budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In exchange, you receive essential information, captivating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters not to be missedunmissable videos, stimulating gamesand the best writings and reports from the scientific world. You can even give someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.
