Tag: lava

Episode 45

Time for another volcano run.

The tall lava fountian of episode 45 in Kilauea Caldera as photographed from the Keanakako'i Overlook, on the morning of April 23 , 2026
The tall lava fountian of episode 45 in Kilauea Caldera as photographed from the Keanakakoʻi Overlook, on the morning of April 23, 2026

I had skipped or even aborted going to several recent episodes as conditions looked bad. When Episode 42 looked imminent, I was packed and ready to go. Then I looked at the winds… From the south. I aborted before ever leaving the house. A good decision, it rained rock in the main section of the park and on the viewpoints, thus the park and the highway were quickly closed.

Episode 43 occurred in heavy rain, while episode 44 was a repeat of 42 with tephra blowing to the northeast, prompting the park and highway to be closed again. Based on the chatter, I think most of the volcano junkies on-island were feeling a bit of frustration.

With another eruptive episode looking likely, I put my boss on notice that I might just collect that day off I was owed. Waking to a 2 am alarm, I rolled over, grabbed the iPad and checked the USGS webcams… We have a go!!

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Waiting for Episode 36

It was going to be Sunday.

A gas piston event in the preliminary stage of Episode 36
A gas piston event in the preliminary stage of Episode 36 at Kilauea, November 9th, 2025

Regular checking of the tiltmeter data, watching the glow and spatter in the livestream cameras, and nearly a year of experience with the current eruption’s repetitive episodes had allowed me to be fairly certain. Others were betting it would be Friday or Saturday. Some folks had been camping out on the volcano for days. I was sure… Sunday, probably Sunday morning.

Thus I readied the camera gear, made sure the car was fully fueled, and got to bed early Saturday evening for an early morning run.

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