Kilauea's Twin Lava Fountains Send Tephra Across Big Island
Twin lava fountains shot roughly 1,000–1,300 feet, prompting park and highway closures, an ashfall warning, and a county shelter on Hawaii's Big Island.
PBS NewsHourTwin lava fountains from Kilauea volcano trigger park and highway closures
Straight Arrow NewsKīlauea erupts with 1,000-foot lava fountains in latest event
Scientific AmericanSee Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano erupt with lava fountains shooting 1,300 feet into the air
ABC NewsTowering lava fountains of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano trigger park and highway closures
Daily BeastHuge Volcano Eruption Forces National Park Closure
Overview
Twin lava fountains from Kilauea shot roughly 1,000 to 1,300 feet into the air during the eruption's 43rd episode since December 2024, officials and the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Falling glassy volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra, prompted temporary closures of parts of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and of Highway 11 on either side of the park.
The National Weather Service issued an ashfall warning, and Hawaii County opened a shelter that county spokesperson Tom Callis said was unused soon after opening.
This was the eruption's 43rd episode since December 2024, and officials said past ashfalls have required county civil defense crews to help clean heavy ash coating homes.
Officials said it was unclear how long the fountaining would last, noting past episodes have lasted a few hours to a few days.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the eruption as a dramatic natural spectacle, using vivid editorial language ("incredible show," "bright red molten rock") and emphasizing scale (1,000-foot fountains, 43rd episode) while quickly noting limited damage. official source content (ashfall warning, park closures) appears but receives limited contextual emphasis.
FAQ
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is closed, and Highway 11 is closed between mile markers 23 and 40 due to falling tephra creating hazardous conditions.[3]
Episode 43 began on March 10, 2026, at 9:17 AM HST with twin lava fountains reaching up to 1,310 feet, and ended on March 10 at 6:21 PM HST.[1]
Tephra includes ash, glassy fragments up to football-sized pieces, and Pele's hair, creating hazardous ground conditions, prompting ashfall warnings and shelter advisories.
Very preliminary models suggest episode 44 fountains are likely between the end of March and the first half of April 2026.[4]
As of March 11, 2026, the Volcano Alert Level is WATCH and Aviation Color Code is ORANGE, after episode 43 ended.[4]
