Hawai’i Island – The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported a pause in the eruption within Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Friday, January 3, 2025. Both fountaining and lava flow ceased simultaneously, with no current lava drainback into the southern vent, the only vent actively erupting at the time.

Seismic tremors began decreasing around the same time, and summit deflation, ongoing since December 29, continues but is expected to either slow, stop, or reverse to inflation within hours. Despite the pause, slow lava movement and crustal overturns within the crater are anticipated.

The vents may remain glowing, and degassing levels are still high, with recent gas emissions measured at approximately 30,000 tonnes per day. The structure of the vent may prevent lava from draining back into it.

HVO maintains a Volcano Alert Level of WATCH and an Aviation Color Code of ORANGE. Monitoring continues, with the next update expected tomorrow morning unless significant overnight changes occur. HVO remains in coordination with Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai’i County Civil Defense.

For the latest visitor information, check the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website. A live stream of the Kīlauea summit is available on the USGS YouTube channel.

No new activity has been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.