Videos

On December 9, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an aerial overflight of Kīlauea summit region, following lava fountaining episode 38 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption on December 6. In this video, the line on the ground in the lower left portion at the start of the video shows the extent of tephra deposits created during episode 38.

The V3 camera was located on the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i. The camera, located in a hazardous closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, was buried by tephra from an inclined lava fountain between 9:55 and 9:57 am HST on December 6, during episode 38 that began this morning at 8:45 am.

Views of Kīlauea summit eruption lava fountaining episode 38 in Halema‘uma‘u crater on the Island of Hawai‘i. This eruptive episode began from the north vent at about 8:45 am HST this morning, December 6.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted the monitoring overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning of December 2, 2025.

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of December 2, 2025, geologists were able to see a spattering lava surface deep within the north vent. The yellow material around the vents is native sulfur.

Episode 37 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu began November 25 at 2:30 p.m. with lava fountaining from the north vent.  A wide fountain developed, eventually reaching heights of 500-600 ft (150-180 meters), sending flows across a broad portion of the crater floor.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists observed lava roiling in the north and south vents at the summit of Kīlauea on Friday, November 21. Shortly after, lava flowed onto Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor for the first time since episode 36 (November 9). That activity continued through the weekend, with 73 overflows total.

On November 21, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an aerial overflight of the eruptive vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea. Roiling lava ponds were visible in both the north and south vents during the overflight; the north vent's incandescent pond barely visible in this aerial photo looking down from the north.

This timelapse video compilation shows Kīlauea summit eruption episodes 34 (October 1), 35 (October 17-18), and 36 (November 9) from two different cameras, one closer to the vent and one farther.  The closer camera sustained heat damage during the intense episode 35 fountaining, making the image slightly blurry.

This timelapse video shows the filling of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) with lava due to repeated episodic lava fountaining that began on December 23, 2024. The images were taken by the B1cam, which is located on the east rim of Kaluapele. USGS video. 

This timelapse video shows changes to the eruptive vent structure in Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) due to repeated episodic lava fountaining that began on December 23, 2024. The images were taken by the B1cam, which is located on the east rim of Kaluapele, and they have been cropped from their original versions. USGS video.

Lava fountaining within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, during episode 32 of the ongoing eruption on September 2, 2025. Various views from the north rim of the crater show lava fountaining from the north vent, feeding lava flows on the crater floor. 

This timelapse video (taken by the S2cam on the south rim of the crater) shows all of episode 32 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, which was active from 6:35 a.m. HST to 8:01 p.m. on September 2. Lava fountains at the north vent reached up to 500 ft (150 m) during this episode. The north vent stopped erupting at 7:49 p.m.

Lava fountained for nearly 13 hours on August 22-23 during episode 31 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on the morning of August 5, geologists observed a lava pond within the north vent of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. The pond was feeding a subterranean lava tube contained within the east side of the vent cone, toward the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Since December 23, 2024, 30 episodes of lava fountaining have happened in summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers visited monitoring stations downwind of the Kīlauea summit eruptive vents on July 10. They wore snowshoes as the large footprint keeps the field engineers walking on top of the frothy pumice everywhere, rather than through it. USGS video. 

During Kīlauea summit eruption episode 28 on Wednesday, July 9, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an aerial overflight of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, which included a brief landing on the crater floor to collect lava samples.

This video, taken around 6:30 a.m. HST on July 9, 2025, shows the fan-shaped lava fountain being erupted during episode 28 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. This perspective is from the north rim of Kaluapele, near Kīlauea Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Episode 28 was active for 9 hours, the final 8 of which consisted of high fountaining.

This video shows timelapse sequences for episode 25 and 26 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea. The episodes were similar in that both were dominated by fountaining from the north vent, and reached over 350 m (1150 feet).

This timelapse video shows the lava fountaining during episode 24 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea. The main fountain, at the north vent (right), grows quickly and soon surpasses the top of the camera image, reaching over 300 meters (1000 ft) high.