Images

This compilation shows thermal maps of Kīlauea summit collected on May 14 and 28, 2025. These maps followed episodes 21 and 23 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, respectively, and both show inactive but warm lava flows produced by the preceding lava fountaining episodes.

A close-up view looking at one of the more vesicular pieces of tephra from a recent fountaining episode at Kīlauea summit. When the gas-rich lava erupting from the vents quickly cools, it solidifies with this light and frothy texture. The bubble walls are so thin that the color of this tephra is more golden brown. USGS photo taken by L.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist collects high-precision ground positions using a kinematic GPS instrument that measures its vertical and horizontal position. Once processed, these measurements will help scientists determine the thickness of the tephra deposit downwind of the ongoing Halema‘uma‘u eruption at Kīlauea summit.

During the pause after episode 23 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist collects data on the tephra deposits. Buckets are used to collect tephra, and emptied between episodes, to ensure that samples from each episode are isolated to track geochemical changes and determine the amount of tephra that fell at each site.

A thick deposit of tephra from the high fountaining of episode 23—along with accumulation from previous episodes—of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, blankets the southwestern rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater. The deposit, within the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, underscores the hazardous nature of this area.

This view of the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u (top right of photo) was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring helicopter overflight on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Part of Crater Rim Drive in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, which has been closed to the public since 2007, is visible in the center of the photo.

This view of the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u, looking to the south, was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring helicopter overflight of Kīlauea volcano on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The north and south vents are degassing on the right side of photo, with the south vent (further from the camera) degassing more strongly.

Episode 23 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u began with high fountains that deposited tephra outside the caldera to the southwest. Material was still molten as it fell on the landscape, evidenced by the fluid textures shown here. This clast, large enough to be called a volcanic bomb, is over 50 cm (almost two feet) long. USGS photo by K.

Both the north and south vents in Halemaʻumaʻu erupted during episode 23 on May 23, as shown in this V3 webcam image taken at 5:25 p.m. HST. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 23 at the summit of Kīlauea included lava fountaining from both the south and north vents. The tall narrow finger of lava shown here, as well as the lower fountaining to the right, are both sourced from the south vent, while the wider fountain originates from the north vent. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Shortly after the start of episode 23 at 4:15 p.m. HST on May 25, the lava fountain and assocaited gas and tephra plume towered over the summit caldera of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The Kīlauea plume from episode 23 reached heights of more than 20,000 feet (6,100 meters)— likely over 25,000 feet (7,600 meters)—above Kīlauea’s summit, which is at an elevation of about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level.

Another view of the complex lava fountaining geometry during episode 23 at the summit of Kīlauea on May 25. The tall and low fountains on the right originate from the south vent, while the wider fountain on the left comes from the north vent, whose cone rim is visible at the bottom of the photo. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A view of the top of the north fountain (left) and the south fountain (right) during episode 23 at the summit of Kīlauea, showing the variable colors (and temperatures) of clasts forming the fountain. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists observe the episode 23 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea from the western caldera rim on May 25. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Episode 23 lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit began around 4:30 p.m. HST on May 25. The episode was active into the evening, and this view shows the eruption at around sunset. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A view of the complex lava channels originating from the vents during episode 23 at the summit of Kīlauea. The channels near the top of the image come from lava fountaining at the south vent, while those at the bottom are from the north vent fountaining. The north vent fountain is visible at the right side of the photo. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea during episode 23 on May 25 produced lava flows that rapidly covered portions of the western parts of Halemaʻumaʻu floor.  Eventually, lava flows reached into the eastern portion of crater before the episode ended at 10:25 p.m. HST on May 25. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A telephoto view of the top of the south lava fountain during episode 23 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea on May 25.  The top of the fountain was an area of complex dynamics including fluctuating fountain height along with clasts separating from the fountain to be carried horizontally in the plume. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Another telephoto view of the base of the north lava fountain, with the south fountain behind it to the right. Both the north and the south vents were active during episode 23 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea on May 25. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This spectrogram shows four hours of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory data streams across six seismic stations at Kīlauea’s summit on May 6, 2025. Each panel is 10 minutes of data. Over the four-hour period, an earthquake, pulsing, and eruptive tremor are visible.