Photo & Video Chronology — March 11, 2025 — Kīlauea summit eruption episode 13 | U.S. Geological Survey

Photo & Video Chronology — March 11, 2025 — Kīlauea summit eruption episode 13

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By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory March 11, 2025

Episode 13 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of Kīlauea within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park started at 2:36 a.m. HST on March 11, and ended by 3:13 p.m. HST that afternoon, after less than 13 hours of continuous eruptive activity. At the same time that fountaining ceased at the vents, summit deflation changed to inflation and tremor decreased.

March 10, 2025 - The day before the start of episode 13

Color photograph of lava within vent — On March 10, 2025, field teams saw low-level spattering from a small opening within north cone, active during recent eruptive episodes of the ongoing eruption at Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea volcano. This indicates that magma is very close to the surface. This photo was taken at 1:32 p.m. H.S.T., looking down nearly 600 feet (183 meters) above the crater floor. Monitoring parameters suggest that a new eruptive episode is likely to begin within the next hours to days. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

March 11, 2025 - Views of episode 13

Orange lava fountains erupting from a crater wall

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Episode 13 fountaining began early on March 11 and continued through an HVO helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit region around 10:00 a.m. Visibility was slightly hampered by passing showers. The north vent fountain was producing a fast-moving channelized flow that was running along the northern perimeter of the crater (bottom right portion of photo), while the south vent fountain was feeding lava into a wide perched pond (left edge of photo). USGS photo taken by M. Patrick.

Lava flow with silver crust and hot molten lava visible underneath

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On the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor, the front of a fast-moving channelized lava flow from the north vent fountain was composed of slabby pāhoehoe. USGS photo taken on March 11, 2025, by M. Patrick.

Geologist approaching an active lava flow

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During a March 11 Hawaiian Volcano Observatory eruption monitoring flight at Kīlauea summit, scientists landed to make observations and collect samples. At the front of the channelized flow from the episode 13 north vent fountain in Halema‘uma‘u crater, a USGS geologist walks the flow margin to find a safe spot to collect a molten lava sample. All samples are collected in coordination with, and after receiving permission from, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Analysis of the sample will provide information for ongoing eruption hazard assessment. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava fountains erupt from side-by-side vents within a crater

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On March 11, HVO geologists observed episode 13 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption from the western caldera rim. Lava fountains from the north vent (left) and south vent (right) were feeding channelized flows across the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Close up view of lava fountain building up a cone around it

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A telephoto view of the northern vent fountain within Halema‘uma‘u crater. The steep septum separating the north and south fountains was under constant barrage today by molten lava falling from the fountains, with the steep walls on the inside of the cones in a state of constant dripping and flowing back into crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick taken on March 11, 2025.

Close up photo of a scientist collecting eruption data

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A USGS geologist uses a handheld laser rangefinder to measure eruption features during the 13th episode of the Kīlauea summit eruption. USGS photo taken on March 11 from the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u by M. Patrick.

A USGS vehicle is seen on top of a road covered by volcanic tephra — The closed portion of Crater Rim Drive, just west of the active vents, has been covered by a deep layer of tephra falling out downwind from the recent lava fountains. In this section, the deposit is only a few inches thick, but farther down the road the tephra has accumulated into drifts that are up to about a half meter (or half a yard) thick. USGS photo taken by M. Patrick on March 11, 2025.

Color photograph of lava fountain — The north vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater was producing lava fountains about 160 feet (50 meters) high on the morning of March 11, with these fountains emerging from a small, sloshing pond inside the walls of the vent's spatter cone. The lava pond can be seen in the lower-left portion of this photo, as well as the spillway that exits through a notch in the cone that itself is obscured from view. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

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