A new eruptive episode began early today at Kilauea’s summit, sending 500-foot lava fountains shooting into Halemaumau crater and producing a towering volcanic plume reaching up to 20,000 feet above sea level, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Episode 32 of the ongoing eruption started at 6:35 a.m. today as dome fountains from the north vent grew into inclined lava jets, arcing roughly 45 degrees northeast inside the crater. The fountains, currently about 500 feet high, are feeding multiple lava streams confined to the crater floor.

The eruption remains contained within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and officials say there is no threat to nearby airports. However, the National Weather Service warns that sulfur dioxide emissions and volcanic haze (

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