Christine Hitt
When I visited Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii to see the lava flow into the ocean back in 2017, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me. The lava doesn't always flow into the ocean. No one knows when the next time will be.
I didn't think a future trip to Kilauea would be as memorable or could possibly surpass that. But now the volcano presents another rare occasion.
Since December, Kilauea has been erupting episodically — starting and stopping for a period — inside Halemaumau Crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The last such episode was the 17th, and the next one will likely happen soon.
Episodic eruptions are uncommon; the last time the volcano did this was in 1986. And what's even more intriguing is that the fountain heights have climbed significantly since December. Episode 15 reached 1,000 feet and Episode 16 exceeded 700 feet.
"The last time we were treated to a scene like this was over 65 years ago!" gushed the United States Geological Survey Volcanoes Facebook page on April 1.
The timing of the episodic eruptions vary. If you're planning a trip to Hawaii soon, consider staying a week on the Big Island to catch it. If you're already on another Hawaiian Island when the next episode begins, be spontaneous and catch the next available flight to spend the day or night there.
The park will be crowded. There's also always a chance you will completely miss the eruption, if the volcano decides to pause again. The eruption may even end completely. But, if you do get a chance to see it, I suspect it will be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you will cherish for a very long time.