September 15, 2026—Front of new lava flow in Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea summit

During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight of Kīlauea summit this morning, September 15, the crew made a brief stop on the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor to collect a fresh lava sample from the new flows that have erupted since yesterday evening. One of the flows was hugging the base of the crater wall, heading northeast, with its active front seen in the foreground here. From this vantage, the sampling crew could see all the way up to the vent complex that has built from lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea since December 23, 2024. The north vent, with a small spatter cone that has formed over the past few days, features prominently on the skyline near the left edge of the frame. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.