November 24, 2025 — Geologist collects sample within Halema‘uma‘u

On November 24, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight was able to land on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater for scientists to collect a sample of cooled lava from a recent overflow of the Kīlauea summit eruptive vents. These overflows—silvery in color when this fresh, as seen on the left of this image—have been erupting intermittently in advance of a likely thirty-seventh lava fountaining episode for the eruption in the coming days. This specific overflow had erupted on November 22 and was no longer emitting much external heat, but the scientists still used water to quench the warm flow interior before transport. Sampling within Halema‘uma‘u, which is done with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, allows for near real-time geochemical analyses, which provide information on the magma plumbing system below. These data inform our understanding of the hazards associated with the ongoing eruption. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.