March 25, 2026 — Sampling lava flows from episode 43 at the summit of Kīlauea

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist collects a cooled sample of episode 43 lava from the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Sampling in this area, which is culturally significant to the Native Hawaiian community, is down with permission from and coordination with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The chemistry of these samples is analyzed to better understand the magmatic plumbing system and hazards associated with the ongoing episodic lava fountaining eruption at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.