On May 21, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) into Halemaʻumaʻu to monitor the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. This oblique aerial photo provides an overview of the two eruptive vents, north (back) and south (front). Both were steadily degassing and intermittently spattering fresh lava from incandescent openings in their bases, as seen here. These UAS flights were conducted with the permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, owing to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce the impacts of eruptions. Unauthorized launching, landing, or operating of a UAS from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use. USGS photo by M. Zoeller. 

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on May 21, the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea was occasionally spattering and consistently glowing with incandescence. This oblique aerial view from directly above the south vent shows the north vent structure, with a circular pit 5–10 meters (16–33 feet) wide that fed lava fountains during recent eruptive episodes, and an irregularly shaped spatter cone built within; geologists noted that this structure resembled a wasp nest, being nested within a pre-existing feature and having a bumpy surface texture with irregular openings. These UAS flights were conducted with the permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, owing to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce the impacts of eruptions. Unauthorized launching, landing, or operating of a UAS from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on May 21, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew their aircraft directly above the south vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea. They observed gas pistoning cycles within the vent, as a lava pond gradually rose over the course of an hour before rapidly dropping over a few tens of seconds as gas was expelled. Here, the lava pond—estimated to measure about 5–10 meters (16–33 feet) wide—can be seen near the peak of its rise. These UAS flights were conducted with the permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, owing to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce the impacts of eruptions. Unauthorized launching, landing, or operating of a UAS from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use. USGS photo by M. Zoeller. 

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on May 21, the eruption continues episodically. Most of the map data included here were collected during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on May 14, between episodes 21 and 22; for this reason, the provided statistics only reflect the first twenty-one episodes of the eruption.