August 5, 2025 — Overview of Halemaʻumaʻu eruptive vents

This aerial view of the complex tephra cone built in recent months around the Halemaʻumaʻu eruptive vents was captured on August 5. The cone has been built against the western wall of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera), with tephra also forming a hill atop the caldera rim. The cone around the vent is built from hot tephra deposited by the lava fountains, and portions can remain semi-fluid for hours. These hot, unstable portions of the cone will flow during and shortly after the lava fountaining, creating large cracks in the cone flank and producing a deposit that resembles rubbly ʻaʻā lava. USGS photo by M. Bagnardi.