May 29, 2025 — Kīlauea summit fieldwork after episode 23

A thick deposit of tephra from the high fountaining of episode 23—along with accumulation from previous episodes—of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, blankets the southwestern rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater. The deposit, within the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, underscores the hazardous nature of this area. It covers a section of the old Crater Rim Drive which is used by HVO scientists to access important volcano monitoring stations. The hill of tephra on the left side of the image is estimated to be roughly 10-12 m (33-39 ft) thick. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on May 29, 2025.