October 22, 2026—Helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u

An aerial view of the episode 55 lava channels and flows on Halema‘uma‘u crater floor taken on October 22, 2026, during a Kīlauea summit overflight. On October 17, lava flows from episode 55 covered a large portion of the crater floor. The smooth surfaces of the lava channels are light gray in color, while flows that spread away from the channels are darker in color. Some areas, including ones with yellow sulfur deposits like the one in the upper left, are lava flows from older fountaining episodes. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither.