July 7, 2026 — Lava in Halema‘uma‘u south vent, Kīlauea summit
Detailed Description
During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight on July 7, geologists had to look straight down into the south vent in Halema‘uma‘u to see the active lave pond within. This downward-looking photo was the only one they captured showing the faintly visible lava surface; in all the geologists' other photos, it was obscured by thick fume in the eruptive conduit. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.