Kīlauea spattering closes two Hawaii trails; timing of 55th lava fountain episode unforecastable

Right · 2The U.S. Geological Survey issued a volcanic activity notice earlier this week reporting renewed spattering at two vents at Kīlauea, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, following recent activity beneath the summit. 1 2 Right · 2The National Park Service announced on Wednesday that Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail would temporarily close because of increased seismic activity and rockfall concerns; the closures cover a combined 1.3 miles. 1 2 Right · 2The NPS, citing the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said more than 200 shallow earthquakes were recorded beneath the summit in the past week, and a magnitude-3.4 quake on Sept. 30 caused small rockfalls along the caldera's north wall. 1 2

Right · 1An intrusion from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 is believed to have caused new cracks along the caldera floor, according to scientists. 1 Right · 2Scientists said they cannot forecast when, or if, the 55th episode of lava fountaining will occur; the USGS advisory said forecast windows for episode 55 "can no longer be modeled due to changes in conditions". 1 2 Right · 1Kīlauea remained at the ORANGE aviation color code, the second-highest on the USGS's four-tier scale, as of Thursday, indicating heightened activity and potential for an eruption, or an eruption with limited hazards to aviation. 2

Right · 2Officials listed hazards including potentially dangerous gas emissions and small glassy volcanic fragments that can be remobilized by wind and irritate skin and eyes; the NPS also told visitors to stay out of closed areas and away from unstable cliff edges. 1 2 Right · 2As background, the USGS says Kīlauea has erupted dozens of times since 1952 and was nearly continuously active along its East Rift Zone from 1983 to 2018; since December 2024 an eruption has been intermittently active within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The NPS says visits surge during eruptive episodes, and the park recorded more than 1.8 million recreational visits in 2025. 1 2