March 31, 2026 — Tephra-blanketed Cone Peak

The tephra deposit from the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption has dramatically changed the landscape in the predominant downwind direction (southwest) of Halema‘uma‘u crater. In this photo captured during the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on March 31, a 200–400-year-old spatter cone complex known as Cone Peak is seen blanketed in recent tephra fall with only a few jagged rocks peeking out. For scale, this complex spans about 650 meters (2,100 feet) from end to end in this view. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.