January 16, 2026 — Aerial view of the north and south vents in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea

This photograph shows the current vent area at the summit of Kīlauea, with passive outgassing plumes originating from the south (left) and north (right) vents. The plumes are carried to the southwest by the tradewinds. On the left side of the photo, the cracked area shows a region of the crater floor where thick deposits of spatter from an earlier lava fountaining episode began to flow downhill, forming a spatter-fed lava flow. USGS photo by T. Orr.