The world’s most active volcano has been extra active lately. Kilauea, which is on the island of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, has been erupting since December 2024. 

Kilauea began spewing hot, red lava over a year ago and has continued to erupt periodically, meaning the lava flow stops for a time and then begins again. As of January 13, there had been 40 “episodes” of lava flow. During that 40th episode, the lava rocketed 800 feet (240 meters) into the air! 

Witnessing a volcanic eruption is like getting a look at what’s deep under Earth’s surface. Earth’s core is so hot that it can melt rock, creating a substance called magma. The magma gets pushed upward until it rushes out of an opening in the surface called a volcano. Magma that has reached Earth’s surface is called lava.

Even though there are pauses between Kilauea’s current episodes, experts say they add up to one long eruption. The magma follows the same path each time, which means it all comes from the same source.

This is nothing new for Kilauea. The volcano has erupted many times in the past 100 years. Like the current eruption, some of the previous ones lasted for years.

Officials say the Kilauea eruptions aren’t dangerous to homes on the island because the volcano is not near them. Kilauea is located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and the area has been closed to the public for some time. But volcanic eruptions can still be unsafe. Some volcanoes, like Kilauea, produce lava that is incredibly hot because the volcanic activity begins far below Earth’s surface. Volcanoes also produce gases that can be harmful when they are breathed in. 

Still, many people are visiting the park to get a look at Kilauea’s spectacular red lava—from a safe distance. 

“You [can] see the force of the earth,” one visitor told Hawaii News Now in 2025. “There’s nothing like it.”

There are more cool photos of Kilauea in the slideshow below!