April 9, 2026 — Episode 44 tephra near the Kilauea Military Camp in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Tephra is anything erupted by a volcano that travels through the air before it is deposited on the ground. Lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea since December 2024 have deposited glassy and lightweight tephra at various locations around Kīlauea summit and farther downwind, depending on the lava fountain heights and wind conditions. During episode 44, tephra landed to the north/northeast of the eruptive vents. This photo shows a fist-sized piece that landed near Kilauea Military Camp in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, where tephra fall was most dense and nearly continuously covered the ground surface. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.