March 21, 2025 — Tephra blanket on Kīlauea

The recent fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea have covered the closed portion of Crater Rim Drive in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park with a significant amount of tephra. Tephra is the term for volcanic fragments that the travel through the air before being deposited on the ground. The lava fountaining yesterday, March 20, covered up tire tracks from vehicles used by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists to access and monitor the eruption site. The deposition of this new material underscores the hazardous nature of this area, which is typically downwind of the erupting vents. USGS photo by M. Patrick.