April 9, 2026 — Kīlauea summit eruption episode 44

Episode 44 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 11:10 a.m. HST on April 9, 2026. Precursory lava flows began on April 3, primarily from the south vent, and continued intermittently until the episode began. The predominant lava fountain during episode 44, however, came from the north vent. This view, with a portion of Crater Rim Drive that was damaged during the 2018 collapse, was taken from the south rim of the crater. USGS photo by L. Gallant.