November 21, 2025 — Scientists on floor of Halema‘uma‘u

With permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists landed briefly on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater on November 21 to collect lava samples from Kīlauea summit eruption episodes 34, 35, and 36. Geochemical analyses of these samples will provide information on the magma storage conditions below, informing hazard assessment of the ongoing eruption. The geologist on the right is retrieving solid samples from the cooled surface of the episode 34 lava flow (which erupted on October 1), while the other is preparing sample storage bags with notes on the time, location, and type of sample. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.