September 18, 2026 — Low-angle aerial view of volcanic vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu, Kīlauea

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit the afternoon of September 18, 2026, geologists captured this view showing several of the vents degassing. In the left side of the image, the main vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu (the north/south/west vents) that has been erupting episodically since December 2024 makes up a shield-shaped structure within the crater. The degassing feature in the right side of the photo is one of the vents that recently erupted between September 14-16, and another of these recently active vents is visible just below and to the right of it but not degassing. USGS photo by K. Lynn.