Images

A closer view of the ephemeral lava channel active the morning of April 20, supplied by lava from the intermittent activity at the south vent at Kīlauea summit. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists accessed the caldera rim on April 20 by driving on Crater Rim Drive in the hazardous closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This area, which is generally downwind of the eruptive vents, has now been covered by 2 meters (yards) of tephra from the recent lava fountaining.

Intermittent activity occurred in the south vent at the summit of Kīlauea the morning of April 20. The lava column would rise and fall in the conduit, and when visible, a low dome fountain (approximately 5 meters, or yards, high) supplied lava into a narrow lava channel exiting the cone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A koa‘e kea (white tailed tropicbird) soars above Halema‘uma‘u crater floor in front of low fountaining at the south vent on April 20. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Minor vent activity the morning of April 20 around 8 a.m. HST produced a small flow on Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and an intermittent dome fountain. The low fountain and spattering at the vent often showed a cycle of 3-4 minutes, with lava rising and falling in the conduit at that timescale. The activity was off and on into the early afternoon. USGS photo by M.

The low dome fountain at the south vent o April 20 was supplying lava to a flow that was approximately 500 meters (550 yards) long. The tip of the lava flow was pouring into the depression formed by the drained lava pond from episode 17. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on April 18, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew their aircraft directly above the south vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea for a close-up view into its depths.

On April 18, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) into Halemaʻumaʻu to monitor the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. This oblique aerial photo provides an overview of the two eruptive vents, north (background) and south (foreground).

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on April 18, the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea was vigorously degassing although it did not host any obvious active lava. This high-angle aerial photo shows multiple openings in the base of the vent cone that glowed hot in simultaneously captured thermal images.

This map shows deformation at Kīlauea volcano associated with the ongoing summit eruption that started on December 23, 2024. The image covers the timespan from April 9–17, 2025, using data recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite constellation.

Satellite image showing changes in the Pohoiki area on the Island of Hawaiʻi. The pre-2018 coastline is shown in white, extent of the first and second phase of growth in blue (about 1 year after the end of the 2018 eruption), and the current active phase as seen in the satellite image from March 2024. Satellite image from GoogleEarth.

On April 15, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) into Halemaʻumaʻu to monitor the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption.

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on April 15, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff monitor the UAS, which is visible just to the right of center in this image. HVO staff collected aerial imagery and volcanic gas concentration data during the UAS flights, which aids in volcanic hazard assessment of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption.

A view of the north and south vents within Halemaʻumaʻu, Kīlauea volcano, on April 15, 2025, taken from the south rim of the caldera. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists measured the height of the crater wall behind the vents using a laser rangefinder.

On April 15, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist prepares for a UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) flight into Halemaʻumaʻu to monitor the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. UAS flights are conducted with the permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and aid in hazard assessment of ongoing volcanic activity.

During UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) overflights on April 15, the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea was not emitting as much volcanic gas as its southern counterpart, and it did not glow as hot in thermal images.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on April 9, the eruption has had seventeen episodes, with the most recent concluding earlier this morning.

During a monitoring overflight on April 9, 2025, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews observed that the ponded lava in the north vent from April 8 had drained and/or collapsed. The south vent was still active, with fountaining sending lava flows across the floor of Halema‘uma‘u. USGS photo by K. Lynn. 

This thermal map was taken on the 7 a.m. overflight of Kīlauea summit on April 9, 2025, and shows the expansive lava flow covering the floor of Halema‘uma‘u, supplied by lava fountains at the vent. As in earlier episodes, the lava exited the vent into a short channel that fed a broad perched lava pond.

Helicopter overflight and a field visit by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists to the crater rim to observe the lava fountaining in episode 17 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea.

This photo shows the low fountaining in the south vent, at the summit of Kīlauea, just minutes before the fountaining ended at 9:45 a.m. HST on April 9, 2025. Visibility in the caldera was variable this morning with passing showers. USGS photo by M. Patrick.