Periodic thermal pulsing or Volcanic lava and gas pistoning is currently being observed with lava seen overflowing the North vent and covering the crater floor. We are awaiting an official report from USGS but we believe that this might signal the start of episode 20 at Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

USGS: Activity Summary: Episode 19 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended on May 2. Episode 20 is likely to start in the next 1–3 days.

Kīlauea's current eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) began on December 23, 2024. There have now been 19 episodes separated by pauses in activity. All eruptive activity remains within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No significant activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s hair) and tephra that have impacted Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.

Summit Observations:

Glow was visible in the north and south vents overnight in multiple summit webcams, with some occasional spatter from the north vent seen in the V1cam. The UWD tiltmeter has recorded over 5 microradians of inflation since the end of episode 19. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate measured on May 2 was approximately 1,750 tonnes per day, which is typical during the eruption pauses. Strands of volcanic glass known as Pele’s hair from previous episodes are still present throughout the summit area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities, and can be remobilized by wind.