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Kilauea's frequent lava fountains offer clues to volcanic behavior

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has recently exhibited an unusual pattern of frequent lava fountains, prompting new research into the mechanisms behind these explosive events.

Kilauea has been erupting almost continuously for nearly 200 years, but in the past year, it began producing frequent lava fountains. The current eruptive phase started on December 23, 2024, within the Halema’uma’u crater, and has since generated 54 distinct lava fountains, some reaching heights of 457 meters.

While occasional lava fountains are common during eruptions, repeated, distinct bursts separated by minutes to weeks are rare. These clustered spurts have only occurred three times at Kilauea since 1823, and never with the current frequency.

Previous theories for these episodic fountains included the sudden release of dissolved water in magma due to pressure changes or the violent expansion of a carbon dioxide-rich foam atop trapped magma.

Kilauea's extensive monitoring provided an ideal setting to test these hypotheses. Scientists collected data on seismic activity, temperature, acoustics, ground deformation, and gas emissions.

Researchers observed that before each fountain, the caldera floor swelled and tilted, indicating magma accumulation. A pattern emerged as the eruption progressed, with repetitive bursts of seismic energy and low-frequency acoustics detected just before some fountains.

These signals are linked to the buildup and release of trapped gases in magma, causing it to rise and fall through narrow vents. The limited release of carbon dioxide suggests the foam hypothesis is less likely.

This research offers a preliminary understanding of the phenomenon, but many questions remain unanswered.

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