Overview
- Episode 36 began at 11:19 a.m. local time on November 9 and ended at 4:16 p.m., delivering just under five hours of continuous fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu.
- HVO measured peak fountain heights of about 300–330 meters (1,000–1,100 feet) and an average effusion rate around 500 cubic meters per second, the highest of the current sequence.
- New lava covered roughly 60% to 80% of the crater floor, yet activity stayed within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and posed no immediate threat to homes or infrastructure.
- Alert Level and Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE, with USGS noting sharp drops in tremor and SO2 after the episode and anticipating a return to rapid inflation in the coming days.
- Authorities highlight hazards from volcanic gas and Pele’s hair along with unstable crater walls and rockfall risks, as USGS footage and livestreams of the fountains circulate widely.