June 14, 2026 — Monitoring Kīlauea episode 49

During lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use laser rangefinders to estimate high how the lava fountains are reaching above the vents and how far the lava flows have traveled from the vents. Additionally, they document eruption dynamics and record eruptive activity using high-resolution cameras. Here, the episode 49 lava fountain is in the final hours of activity and reaching about 80 meters (262 ft) in height. USGS photo by T. Paladino.