July 14, 2026 — View into Halema‘uma‘u north vent, Kīlauea

On July 14, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists on a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea's summit region had excellent views into both eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u. This is a telephoto view into the north vent, where the scientists could see two incandescent pukas (holes); the one on the left in this view was actively spattering during the flight. They estimated that the main vent opening was about 10 meters (33 feet) wide, and the incandescent pukas were 15 meters (49 feet) down. The up direction in this image is approximately southeast. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.