February 15, 2026 — Side-by-side lava fountains during episode 42 at the summit of Kīlauea

Late in the afternoon on Sunday, February 15, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists monitoring Kīlauea summit eruption episode 42 hiked west of Halema‘uma‘u crater for an angle of both the north and south vent lava fountains side by side. During most of episode, the south vent lava fountain (right) was slightly taller than the north vent's (left). Substantial tephra fall from the fountains was further building the cone that stands on the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater, with some falling lava fragments impacting the surface semi-molten and shattering to create an incandescent "sparking" effect. USGS photo by C. Cauley.