Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption recently marked its 50th fountaining episode on June 27, 2026, delivering a spectacular 1030-foot (314-meter) lava fountain from its north vent at the summit caldera.
This milestone occurred 551 days after the eruption began on December 23, 2024, with fountaining episodes averaging approximately 11 days apart and lasting about 15 hours. The 50th episode delighted visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, with favorable winds directing most tephra away from populated areas, though a trace of Pele’s hair reached Pāhala.
The ongoing eruption has featured double fountains in 32 of its 50 episodes, a characteristic that distinguishes it from previous Hawaiian fountaining events. While the north vent has been consistently active, initiating precursory activity 90% of the time, the south vent produced the eruption's highest fountain at 1770 feet (540 meters) during episode 43.
Despite the south vent's impressive height, it has been less active in recent episodes, with the north vent solely producing fountains since episode 44. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continue to monitor the activity, noting that summit inflation since the 50th episode suggests another fountaining event is probable, with models predicting episode 51 between July 8-15.