# For volcano watchers - maybe you'll get lucky! {Kilauea may be erupting} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665 "2023-09-05T20:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 32
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/621 "2026-07-15T13:32:26Z")
Judging by how much groundswell there has been in the last week, _something’s_ got to give. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/622 "2026-07-15T17:22:17Z")
There’s a small flow now. Nothing spectacular, but it’s going steady. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/623 "2026-07-15T19:01:07Z")
Pretty cool right now. Not huge, but big enough that it’s more than precursor activity. Interestingly, it looks a bit different from previous spewing - it seems thicker/more cohesive, and it has spots in it. I can’t tell whether they are lumps or bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/624 "2026-07-15T19:30:50Z")
The flow looks more “normal” to me now, and the camera has been moved back. I wonder if what I thought looked different was just a result of the closer camera angle. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/625 "2026-07-15T20:08:17Z")
Nice fountaining. You can really see the height on V2. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/626 "2026-07-28T18:36:27Z")
There is some spitting and spurting on V1. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/627 "2026-07-28T20:45:02Z")
Still spewing slowly on V3. HVO thinks the next episode, #52, will start on or before the 30th. So today, tomorrow, or the next day. See **[HVO Message](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-07-28T18:40:55+00:00)** for more details & caveats. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/628 "2026-07-29T01:30:34Z")
Not quite fountaining, but it looks like it’s getting there! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/629 "2026-07-29T10:23:02Z")
And we’re underway! Yaay! HVO says it started for real at ~7pm HT on Tue = 1am ET on Wed. So about 5 hours ago as I write at ~6:30am ET on Wed. At least right now only 1 vent is fountaining. V3 probably has the best look at the fountain, while V1 & V2 have a better look at the flow across the floor. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/630 "2026-07-29T11:43:48Z")
🌋 👍 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/631 "2026-07-29T13:44:03Z")
And that’s a wrap. All done at ~0230HT Wed = 0830ET Wed after ~7-1/2 hours. That’s about an hour ago as I type, so at least some of the full-force fountaining will be available to watch on rewind for another ~10 hours. Now that we’ve had 52 episodes (hooray!), I’d really like to see a graph of duration, max fountain height, and volume of ejecta by episode. My WAG is we’d see each of those curves with a steady downtrend over the last, say 20-30% of the episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/632 "2026-07-29T14:05:50Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > All done at ~0230HT Wed = 0830ET Wed after ~7-1/2 hours. That’s about an hour ago as I type, so at least some of the full-force fountaining will be available to watch on rewind for another ~10 hours. Right when I was signing on this morning. I got to see the glowing crater floor. I swear Pelé hates me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/633 "2026-07-29T14:24:28Z")
You do know that video is a rolling 12 _hours_ long? And you can watch any part of it? When you first open the page you’re looking at [now] and the position slider is at the far right = the chronological end of the vid. But you can drag the slider back to the far left, the chronological beginning of the vid, and the timestamp at upper left will be as of 12 hours ago. Then you can play forward from there. Or hop around and sample the view at various times of day. Hence my comment (an hour ago) that you can still watch 10 hours of fountaining. It’s down to 9 hours now. For me, there is no difference between watching it live and watching it a couple hours delayed. That’s how I watch all my TV anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/634 "2026-07-29T14:46:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > For me, there is no difference between watching it live and watching it a couple hours delayed. That’s how I watch all my TV anyhow. Tape delay is not as much fun for me. I can’t even watch NC State games unless they’re live. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/635 "2026-08-07T09:32:39Z")
New crack appears > **[Kilauea Volcano Update: New Crack Opens, Large Flames Seen (Aug. 6, 2026)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qin_NzEuKuU?nonce=1)** > > HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - There has been a recent visible change at the Kilauea volcano summit vents over the last week.A new crack has opened upslop... ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/636 "2026-08-10T14:53:30Z")
Are Lava Fountains Growing Taller? Big Island Video News, \<3 minutes. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HJN4SSm3d1s/maxresdefault.jpg "Kilauea Volcano Update: Are Lava Fountains Growing Taller? (Aug. 9, 2026)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJN4SSm3d1s) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/637 "2026-08-25T15:02:03Z")
There’s some spitting and spouting on V1 and V3. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/638 "2026-08-25T17:56:29Z")
Yep. The HVO VNS put out a message a couple hours ago that the warm-up has begun. As of now, ~1400 ET = 0800 HT on Tue one vent is flowing nicely. No way to know how long the warm-up will last. Maybe a couple hours, maybe a couple days. But it bears checking back on regularly. IME the first message from HVO VNS after the show starts comes out an hour or two later. So you can still rewind to see the beginning for another ~10 hours. Your post predates their message by an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/639 "2026-08-25T21:50:13Z")
And we have ignition!! HVO says it got going at 1030 HT = 1630ET, so about 90 minutes ago as I write. The view from V1 is especially impressive. It’s erupting in a wide fan seen face-on in V1 and edge-on in V3. I’ve forgotten when / why V2 went offline. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/640 "2026-08-25T22:08:51Z")
V2 restarted the steam. Just search for Kilauea V2. It gives sense of how big this one is that you don’t get from the side. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665.md?page=31) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665.md?page=33)