Kīlauea Episode 46: Eruption Recap & Timeline
Live data from USGS HVO. View full dashboard
Episode 46 Summary
Episode 46 is one of the fountaining episodes of Kīlauea's ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption, which has produced numbered episodes every one to four weeks since December 2024. Our daily archive below doesn't include USGS commentary that names this episode; the daily updates log has the complete day-by-day record.
Episode 46 by the Numbers
- Started
- May 5, 2026 - 8:17 a.m.
- Paused
- May 5, 2026 - 5:22 p.m.
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Max fountain height
- ≈660 ft (200 m)
- Lava volume
- 4.6M m³
- Pause that followed
- 9 days
How Episode 46 compares
Lava fountains in Episode 46 reached about 660 feet (200 meters), the 29th highest fountain height of 54 recorded episodes and 6% below the median of 700 ft.
The episode erupted an estimated 4.6 million cubic metres of lava, 12% below the median of 5.2M m³.
Fountaining lasted 9 hours, 10% below the median of 10 hours. Kīlauea's episodes are short and intense: most last hours, not days.
The summit then paused for 9 days while magma recharged before the next episode began.
Comparisons computed across the 54 eruptive episodes USGS has recorded for the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption. Figures are USGS preliminary values and can be revised.
How to Monitor Episode 55
- Live status dashboard: hawaii-watch.com/volcano, updated every 10 minutes
- Next-episode forecast tracker: hawaii-watch.com/volcano
- Live webcams: hawaii-watch.com/volcano/webcams
- Daily USGS status log: hawaii-watch.com/volcano/updates
- Going to see one in person: hawaii-watch.com/volcano/kilauea-tour-vs-diy
- USGS source: usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates
Is It Safe to Visit Hawaii During an Eruption Episode?
Always check the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website and follow guidance from park rangers and USGS HVO before visiting. Conditions can change rapidly. This site is for informational purposes only. Always defer to official park and emergency management sources.