Kīlauea volcano at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park resumed eruptions Wednesday with what was described as a small lava flow followed by "low-level continuous lava spattering" and some fountaining activity.
"The small sluggish lava flow from the north vent at around 9:15 a.m. today marks the beginning of the fourth episode of the ongoing summit eruption," the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported. "By 9:50 a.m., lava flow activity increased, and lava fountaining began around 9:55 a.m."
Some of the fountains reached about 200 feet into the sky, the observatory reported.
"If fountaining continues, it is possible that the fountain heights will increase as more gas-rich lava erupted. It is not possible to estimate how high the fountains may get or how long the fountaining will last, but prior episodes have produced fountains over 200 feet high (70 m) that last up to 24 hour," the agency said.
This is the fourth episode of an eruption that began within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on December 23, 2024.