November 5, 2026 — Episode 56 lava fountain and plume in the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption

Episode 56 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption produced an eruption plume of volcanic gases that reached 18,000 ft (5,500 m) above sea level. Upper-level winds from the east and southeast carried the higher-level plume northwest towards Mauna Loa summit. In this photo, the sun is mostly obscured by the plume in the upper right of the image and appears as a faint pink circle. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on November 5, 2026, from Uēkahuna overlook in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.