Photo and Video Chronology — December 28 & 29, 2024 — Kīlauea summit eruption continues

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory December 30, 2024

The eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began on Monday, December 23, continues with reinvigorated lava fountaining over the past few days. Eruptive activity has been confined to the southwest part of the caldera.

Color photograph of erupting vents and lava flows

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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this overview photo of Kīlauea's summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim on Saturday, December 28, 2024. Three eruptive vents were active at the time, spattering and feeding lava flows that spread out in a fan shape on the southwestern crater floor. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

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This zoom view of the three active eruptive vents within Halemaʻumaʻu was captured during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on Saturday, December 28, 2024. The geologists estimated that the tallest of these vents, on the right side of this image, had built a spatter cone that stood 30–50 feet (10–15 meters) tall. All three vents were feeding pāhoehoe lava flows onto the crater floor, out of view to the right of this image. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

Color photograph of two people repairing a gas sensor — Maintenance of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's instrumental monitoring network is an ever-ongoing process, but it is especially important during eruptions. Here, two scientists perform repairs on a gas monitoring station located just west of Kaluapele—Kīlauea's summit caldera—on Saturday, December 28, 2024. An upward-looking spectrometer measures the amount of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) passing over the station, and when combined with data from other similar instruments located downwind of the ongoing eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an approximate SO₂ emission rate can be calculated. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

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Fountaining at Kīlauea summit increased in vigor on December 29. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on the crater rim the morning of December 29 observed an increase in height throughout their field shift, up to about 40 m (130 feet). Lava effusion was also starting to form a perched lava pond in front of the vents. USGS video by M. Patrick.

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This video shows lava fountaining within Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) on the morning of December 29, 2024, as viewed from the south rim of the crater by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists. USGS video by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of rainbow over erupting vents and lava lake

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Passing showers on the morning of December 29 at Kīlauea summit produced a rainbow (known in Hawaiian as an "Ānuenue") visible near the active lava fountaining. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

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Sufficient spatter was being deposited to produce a spatter-fed flow down the steep eruptive vent rampart at Kīlauea summit on December 29. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of geologist and erupting vents in background — On December 29, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected scaled video of lava fountaining as well as laser rangefinder measurements of fountain heights and crater floor elevations. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of erupting vents with bird above

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Several koa‘e kea birds (white-tailed tropicbirds) were flying circles above the Kīlauea summit eruptive vent on December 29, riding thermal updrafts from the lava pond. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

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This photo was taken later on December 29, when lava fountains at Kīlauea's summit were approximately 130 feet (40 meters) high. USGS photo by M. Patrick.