US: 20,000 Foot Ash Plume Rises Above Hawaii As Kilauea Lava Fountains Suddenly Stop.

Hawaii, United States - May 15, 2026 Episode 47 of the continuing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea came to a sudden end at 12:27 a.m. HST on May 15. The eruption is now paused. The latest eruptive phase started at 3:27 p.m. HST on May 14, when lava fountains began erupting from the north vent. The activity continued nonstop for nine hours before abruptly stopping shortly after midnight. Moments before the eruption ended, both eruptive vents produced intense gas jetting and large flames that remained visible even after lava activity ceased. During this episode, the south vent did not generate lava fountains, although periodic spattering was observed in the early stages of the north vent eruption. The north vent released heavy heat and ash, creating a plume that climbed to around 20,000 feet above sea level, according to radar data from the National Weather Service and the Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the instantaneous effusion rate reached between 360 and 390 cubic yards per second at around 5 p.m. HST. The average effusion rate throughout the episode measured 270 cubic yards per second. Scientists estimated that 6.8 million cubic yards of lava erupted during the event, covering approximately 30 to 40 percent of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter also recorded roughly 15.6 microradians of deflationary tilt during episode 47.