Images

In this view from an eruption monitoring helicopter overflight on Wednesday, July 9, new lava flows can be seen traveling across the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor—these appear as fluid forms with a shiny, silvery crust over incandescent red-hot lava. Older lava flows from previous eruptive episodes have a darker or duller appearance.

Aerial view taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight, showing the lava fountain of episode 28 within the summit caldera (Kaluapele) of Kīlauea. These lava fountains reached a maximum of 1150 ft (350 meters) but were mostly lower than this height throughout the fountaining episode.

Near the Kīlauea Overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, an ‘ōhi‘a lehua frames the lava fountains of episode 28 on July 9. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

During episode 28 of lava fountaining during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, USGS scientists approached the caldera rim to measure volcanic gas emissions with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This lava fountain on the morning of July 9 was approximately 1000 feet tall (300 meters).

Captured on USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory livestreaming V2cam, the north vent produced a fan-shaped fountain during episode 28 on July 9. The south vent was quiet during this episode, giving the north vent the full spotlight. Maximum fountain height in this episode was 321 meters (1053 feet). USGS photo. 

During episode 28 lava fountaining on Wednesday, July 9, clasts of fluid, molten lava were ejected to heights of approximately 1000 feet (300 meters) from the vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater and deposited onto the growing tephra hill on the western side of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera).

Following episode 27 of the Kīlauea summit eruption on June 29, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers visited several sites southwest of Halemaʻumaʻu on July 1 to remove tephra that had accumulated on the solar panels and station infrastructure. USGS photos by M. Warren. 

The Ha‘akulamanu trail within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park passes through the Sulphur Banks area, where long-term degassing near Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) has altered the basalt to colorful minerals including yellow sulfur, white gypsum, and reddish-brown hematite. USGS photo by C. Sealing.

Since December 23, 2024, 30 episodes of lava fountaining have happened in summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

From the south rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera), the growing tephra cone downwind of the ongoing eruption site in Halemaʻumaʻu is easily visible. On June 29, visitors gathered along the rim near Keanakākoʻi Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to view lava fountaining associated with episode 27. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

Episode 27 of the Halema‘uma‘u Kīlauea summit eruption began around 9:05 a.m. HST on June 29, 2025. The north vent was active for majority of the eruption and reached approximately 1115 ft (~340 m) high by 11:00 am HST. The south vent became active with low level fountaining of about 65 ft (20 m) just before 4:00 p.m. HST. The fountains lasted just under 11 hours.

Strands of Pele's Hair collect in low-lying areas near Keanakākoʻi Overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

Visitors near the Keanakākoʻi Overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park view lava fountaining during episode 27 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on June 29. Approximately 1.6 billion gallons (8.1 million cubic yards, 6.2 million cubic meters) of lava erupted during the sustained fountaining phase of episode 27.

Episode 27 lava fountains at the summit of Kīlauea occurred over about 11 hours on Sunday, June 29. In this view, the vibrant red lehua blossoms of the native ʻōhia tree frame the foreground, while the lava fountain from the north vent is visible in the background.  USGS photo by P. Dotray.

A koaʻe kea (white-tailed tropicbird) flies near the lava fountain during episode 27 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu. These birds are often visible in the vicinity of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera), as they nest in the walls of the caldera. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter monitoring overflight of the summit of Kīlauea provided aerial overview of the lava flows and tephra that have been emplaced over the 26 lava fountaining episodes since December 23, 2024. The very bottom of the photo shows the dark black lava flows that were erupted during the September 2023 eruption. USGS photo by D.

The north and south vents have generated several lava fountains more than 1,000 ft (300 m) high during the past 26 episodes.

Lava was seen about 10-20 m (33-66 feet) below the rim of the north vent on June 27, 2025, during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Kīlauea summit monitoring helicopter overflight. The north vent was glowing over the past several nights and some minor spatter was visible overnight of June 26-27. USGS photo by R. Gale.

This map shows thickness values for lava flows within Halema‘uma‘u crater from the Kīlauea summit eruption that began on December 23, 2024. These values were calculated by topographic differencing between a digital elevation model collected on June 10, 2025—after eruptive episode 24—and one from before the eruption began.

This near-vertical view into the north vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) flight on June 26, 2025. The aircraft was about 150 m (500 ft) above the vent, with north oriented to the upper left in this view.

These maps show lava flow and tephra accumulation at Kīlauea volcano associated with episodes 23 (left) and 24 (right) of the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu that started on December 23, 2024, using data recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite constellation.