October 6, 2026 — New ground cracks from recent intrusion at Kīlauea summit, glove for scale

The September 30-October 1 intrusion of magma into the northern portion of Kaluapele, Kīlauea summit caldera, created scattered ground cracks on the surface. This portion of the caldera floor has been covered in steaming cracks for decades, but the new cracks were identifiable because they cut through the fresh tephra deposits from the episodic ongoing summit eruption. In this photo, the active vents of the ongoing eruption are visible in the upper left, and Uēkahuna overlook is in the upper right portion of the photo. USGS photo by M. Patrick.