Photo & Video Chronology — August 6, 2025 — Episode 30 at Kīlauea summit

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory August 6, 2025

Episode 30 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at approximately 1:20 a.m. HST on August 6, 2025

Color photograph of eruption annotated with eruption information — Kīlauea has had 30 episodes of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, within the summit caldera, since December 23, 2024. This infographic summarizes the past 30 episodes of activity, providing context for this episodic eruption and summarizing the relevant hazards. USGS graphic.

Animated gif showing changes to an eruption site over 7 months — This animated GIF was created using an image collected approximately every other day by the S2cam located on the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. It shows how the vent geometry and near-vent eruption area within Halemaʻumaʻu crater has changed over the past 30 episodes of lava fountaining. During the eruptive episodes, new material is added that causes the cone to grow, and the crater floor rises with added lava flows. In-between episodes, these newly erupted materials subside and slump over time. USGS images.

Color photograph of lava fountain at night

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Early in the morning on August 6, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited the western rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater to observe Kīlauea summit eruption episode 30. Lava fountains were reaching about 70 meters (230 feet) above the north vent at the time. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

Color photograph of lava flowing in volcanic crater at sunrise

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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists watched a spectacular sunrise over Kīlauea summit eruption episode 30 on the morning of August 6. Lava flows had covered about 60% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor by that time. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

A large white and blue plume rises from the red lava fountains within a crater

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A helicopter overflight on the morning of August 6, during episode 30 of the ongoing Halema‘uma‘u eruption, provided aerial views of the lava fountaining and numerous channelized lava flows covering the crater floor. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Aerial view of a lava fountain erupting in a crater and feeding several streams of lava across the crater floor

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An aerial photograph of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater taken during an overflight on August 6, 2025. This photo, looking to the west, shows episode 30 lava fountains and lava flows covering the crater floor. A thick plume of volcanic gas and water vapor is seen rising from the vent and being blown to the southeast during normal trade wind conditions. USGS photo by M. Bagnardi.

Scientist uses a hammer to collect a red molten lava sample from a lava flow.

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A USGS geologist collects a molten sample of the episode 30 lava flows, quenching the sample in a bucket of water. The chemistry of these lava samples is analyzed to better understand the source and storage of magma driving Hawaiian eruptions. USGS photo by M. Patrick taken on August 6, 2025.

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A telephoto aerial view of the episode 30 lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit, taken during a morning helicopter overflight. The dominant fountain was in the north vent, while a smaller fountain was active in the south vent. Channelized streams of lava, fed by the fountains in the north and south vents, flow to the eastern portion of the crater floor. USGS photo taken by M. Bagnardi on August 6, 2025.

Lava fountaining from a vent in the crater wall

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A view of the episode 30 lava fountaining in the north vent, taken from the west rim of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera. The fountaining was sending out several lava channels across the crater floor, with lava flows reaching the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater. USGS photo taken by M. Patrick on August 6, 2025.

Color photograph of volcanic plume rising above road

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Slack winds allowed the outgassing plume from the episode 30 lava fountaining to rise vertically above Kīlauea summit caldera, making it easily visible from Highway 11. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color maps showing temperature of caldera floor where there is an ongoing eruption

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The August 6 thermal map shows the widespread channelized lava flows covering the crater floor, originating from the episode 30 lava fountaining in the western end of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Most of the lava originated from the vigorous fountaining at the north vent, with the weak fountaining at the south vent contributing a smaller volume. Also shown are two thermal maps collected during the quiet interval between lava fountaining episodes, when the crater floor consists of solidified, inactive lava.

Color photo compilation of many images — Photo compilation of episodes 1–30 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea, including webcam imagery and photos taken by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists on the ground and during helicopter overflights. In all photos except for episode 7, the south vent is on the left and the north vent is on the right. For the episode 7 photo, the north vent is in the center and the south vent is below it to the right. The episode 5 photo only shows north vent. The episode 30 photo also shows a fissure on the south wall that was active in the first few hours of the episode.