Kilauea Lava Overflows Continue as Next Fountaining Episode Nears

Lava overflows are continuing at Kilauea's summit as the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory watches for the start of the volcano's next fountaining episode.

The observatory raised Kilauea to a WATCH alert level, with an orange aviation color code, on Monday afternoon after voluminous precursory overflows began from the volcano's north vent at 11:43 a.m. Hawaii time.

Dome fountaining in the vent began around 2:30 p.m. Monday, accompanied by a rapid increase in tremor. By 5:12 p.m. a sixth overflow had begun, with vigorous domes reaching up to 20 feet high persisting within the vent between overflows and feeding lava flows across the floor of Halemaumau crater.

The observatory has forecast the onset of the eruption's 56th fountaining episode between Monday afternoon and Nov. 7 and said it will issue a notice when the episode officially begins. It has not declared the episode underway.

All activity remains confined to Halemaumau crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and no communities are threatened.