November 2, 2026—South and west vents merge in Halema‘uma‘u

During the last week of October, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists re-analyzed webcam imagery from before and after Kīlauea summit lava fountaining episode 55 on October 17, 2026. Since episode 55, glow has been periodically visible from two eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u: the north vent, and another vent that was originally thought to be the west vent. However, review of webcam images indicates that this other source of glow is located in between the original positions of the south and west vents. As such, we now consider it to be a merged "southwest" vent.

The three V2cam images included here show the positioning of the merged south and west vents. The left image is from August 12, 2026, just hours before lava fountaining episode 53 and shortly after the west vent appeared. The center image is from October 16, 2026, the day before episode 55 and after most of the September–October vent overflows. The right image is from October 31, after episode 55. Before episode 55 the west vent lined up almost perfectly behind the north vent from this angle. After, the glow source is significantly offset to the left, extending towards the original south vent position. Though the camera zoom and framing have changed for V2cam, the angular relationship to the vent area has remained consistent, so the vent shift is a real geologic change, though it does not present any significant change in volcanic hazards.