July 2, 2026 — Northwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea summit

On July 2, three USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists flew via helicopter to the northwest side of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea to sample tephra deposits in the crater wall. These deposits were exposed by the 2018 summit collapse, but lava flows from the ongoing episodic Kīlauea summit eruption are likely to bury them again in the near future. Refilling the of the crater by eruptions in Halema‘uma‘u since 2020, including the ongoing episode lava fountaining eruption made it fairly easy to access the deposits, which just a few years ago were halfway up the cliff. The vent complex from the ongoing eruption can be seen in the distance on the left. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.