Today, December 23, 2025, marks the one-year anniversary of the incredible lava fountain eruption on the summit of Kilauea at Halemaumau Crater. So far, there have been 38 jaw-dropping episodes with lava reaching heights up to 1,500 feet (457 meters) in the air.
This type of eruption is extraordinary for Kilauea. Here’s how the USGS describes it:
“The current eruption stands out in style and our ability to observe, document, and forecast it. Sustained, repeated high fountaining—where molten lava is lofted hundreds of meters—is uncommon at K?lauea. Only three other similar eruptions have been documented: the 1959 K?lauea Iki eruption, the initial fountaining phase of the 1969–74 Maunaulu eruption, and the early episodes of Pu?u???? from 1983 to 1986.”
As you might expect, the USGS has kept excellent records of this eruption phase. This page has some very interesting data and images. There’s also a great timeline of the episodes on that page. Additionally, the USGS created the following image compilation from each of the eruptions. As you can see, each eruption is rather unique.
According to the daily Kilauea updates, the next episode, which will be the 39th, is anticipated to take place anytime between now and December 26. Here’s a screenshot from V1cam from this morning.
You can see that lava is splashing out from the two vents. You can access links to the three webcams from this USGS page.
Though scientists don’t know how much longer this eruption series will continue, one thing we can all agree on is that Kilauea is ever so fascinating!
Sheila Beal
