Images

The V1 livestreaming camera, located on the northwest rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of  Kīlauea, captured this image of the episode 54 lava fountain at 11:47 a.m. HST. At that time, the lava fountain from the north vent was an estimated 400 feet (120 meters) high. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the F1cam, a thermal camera, located on the northwest rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the eruptive plume during the episode was taken by the KPcam, located on the south flank of Mauna Loa in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the V2cam, located on the east rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

The K2 cam is located on a tower near Uēkahuna bluff in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This image, captured by the K2cam at 11:46 a.m. HST on August 25, 2026, shows visitors at the overlook viewing the lava fountain from the north vent that erupted during episode 54. USGS webcam photo. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea began at 10:30 HST on August 25, 2026. At the time this photograph was taken, from the north rim of the caldera around 11 a.m., the fountain from the north vent was about 50-75 feet (15-20 meters) meters high. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

The lava fountain erupting from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea during episode 54 on August 25, 2026, generated a lava flow on the caldera-wall side of the vent complex. This lava flow skirted the northwest part of the caldera wall.

On Friday, August 21, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) organized a helicopter LiDAR mission over flood-damaged areas in the Kaʻū district on the Island of Hawaiʻi following Hurricane Lala that affected the Hawaiian Islands the weekend of August 15. HVO normally uses LiDAR for assessing eruption-related landscape changes in Hawaii.  Helicopter-based L

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientist mounts the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instrument on the base of the helicopter.

On Friday, August 21, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) organized a helicopter lidar mission over flood-damaged areas in the Ka‘ū district on the Island of Hawai‘i following Hurricane Lala the previous weekend.

Flooding in the Ka‘ū district during Hurricane Lala over the weekend of August 15–16 appears to have activated hydrologic drainages that only carry water during the heaviest of rains.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter lidar mission on Friday, August 21 provided near-vertical views down into narrow channels carved by streams on the southeast flank of Mauna Loa volcano. This photo shows Hionamoa Gulch just west of the town of Pāhala, clearly widened by flooding during Hurricane Lala the previous weekend.

This panoramic photo from the northwest rim of Halemaʻumaʻu on August 12 shows Kīlauea summit eruption episode 53 lava fountaining and the spatter-fed flow running along the northern perimeter of the crater floor (bottom of photo). The V1cam and KWcam site is visible at the left edge of the photo. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Episode 53 of the ongoing episodic Kīlauea summit eruption started on August 12 at 3:45 p.m. HST. The episode 53 lava fountain erupting from the north vent reached heights of approximately 500 ft (150 m) with the gas plume reaching 18,000 ft (5600 m) above sea level.

Crowds of visitors gather at Uēkahuna bluff in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to watch Kīlauea summit eruption episode 53 lava fountaining on August 12, 2026. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

As the sun set on August 12, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists had excellent views of Kīlauea summit eruption episode 53 lava fountaining in the clear weather. The fountain shape changed rapidly, often shutting off the spatter-fed flow on the north side of the vent (right side of photo). USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A closer look at the spatter fallout zone during Kīlauea summit eruption episode 53 lava fountaining on August 12, 2026. This was the source of the spatter-fed flow directed towards the northern portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The spatter-fed flow on the north side of the vent was intermittent during Kīlauea summit eruption episode 53 lava fountaining on August 12, 2026. Changes in the shape of the fountain and spatter fallout zone often restarted the flow down the steep slopes of the vent cone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava fountaining episode 53 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea began at 3:45 p.m. HST on August 12, 2026. This photo of the fan shaped lava fountain was taken from the Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, around 5:00 p.m. HST when the lava fountains were approximately 500 ft (150 m) high. USGS photo taken by M. Cappos.

A wide view of the Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, during episode 53 lava fountains of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. The volcanic gas plume rises from the lava fountains as visitors watch the eruption. The ground surface is blanketed in tephra (volcanic rock particles) that were deposited during earlier episodes of this eruption.

A photo of an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer) instrument that a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses to measure the chemical composition of volcanic gas during the start of eruptive episode 53 at the summit of Kīlauea. The ongoing episodic summit eruption, within Halema‘uma‘u, began on December 23, 2024. USGS photo taken by M.