Images

View of north vent (top left), south vent (middle right), and west vent (bottom center) within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea, taken during a helicopter overflight on September 16, 2026. Helicopter skids are visible in the bottom right.

Oblique aerial view looking southwest of south (left) and north (right) vents, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on September 16, 2026. Spattering from north vent has formed a cone that is approximately 10 meters (30 feet) tall. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

On September 14, new fissures began breaking out along the base of the northwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater, north of the episodic lava fountaining vents that have persisted since December 23, 2024, at the summit of Kīlauea.

This thermal map of the summit of Kīlauea was constructed from images collected during a morning overflight on September 16, 2026. The map shows two small but active flows in the northwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater, erupting from new vents that opened in the past two days.

New fissures opened up on and near the base of the northwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea on September 14-15, 2026, north of the established vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea. The V2cam, located on the east rim of the crater, shows the locations of these new eruptive features.

A wide view of Halema‘uma‘u in the summit caldera of Kīlauea in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The vent complex of ongoing eruption in in center, and lava flows from fissures that started erupting on September 14 appears as silvery areas to the left of the complex. Mauna Loa can be seen in the background. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

Low-angle aerial view looking southwest of the vent area within Halema‘uma‘u, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on September 16, 2026.

This photo, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on September 16, 2026, shows south vent at the summit of Kīlauea in the bottom center. The caldera floor is towards the top of the photo; the north vent is out of view on the left.

This reference map depicts new eruptive vents and lava flows in Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea since September 14, 2026. Most of the data for this map were collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on the morning of September 16.

This view of the eruptive vent complex in Halemaʻumaʻu, taken on the morning of September 15, shows the new fissures that opened the night of September 14, 2026. The main vent complex in the center of the photo includes the north, south, and west vents, which are visibly degassing from a shield-shaped structure on the crater floor.

New fissures opened up on and near the base of the northwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater last night, north of the established vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea.

New fissures opened up on and near the base of the northwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater last night, north of the established vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea. The B1cam, located on the south rim of the crater, captured the evolution of these new eruptive features, as visible in this animated GIF spanning the evening of September 14-15, 2026.

Yesterday evening, September 14, new fissures began breaking out along the base of the northwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater, north of the episodic lava fountaining vents that have persisted since December 23, 2024, at the summit of Kīlauea.

During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight of Kīlauea summit this morning, September 15, the crew made a brief stop on the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor to collect a fresh lava sample from the new flows that have erupted since yesterday evening.

This low-angle aerial view of the new fissures and lava flows in Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning, September 15.

Near the end of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning, August 15, the crew passed by the Halema‘uma‘u eruptive vents that have fed lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea since December 23, 2024.

New fissures opened up on and near the base of the northwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater last night, north of the established vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea.

This image, captured by the V1cam on the northwest rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater on September 11, 2026, shows a dome fountain feeding a lava flow from the north vent at the summit of Kīlauea. This style of activity was intermittent in the several days leading up to episode 55 of lava fountaining. USGS webcam image. 

This image, captured by the V1cam on the northwest rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater on September 11, 2026, shows the north vent at the summit of Kīlauea just after a dome fountain stopped erupting and lava had drained back into the vent. This style of activity was intermittent in the several days leading up to episode 55 of lava fountaining. USGS webcam image. 

During a Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight around 12:45 a.m. HST on September 10, 2026, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff collected a sample of the overflows that have occurred from the north vent from between September 7-10. This photo shows the geologist collecting the sample with the vent complex at the west end of Halema‘uma‘u in the background.

Around 12:45 p.m. HST on September 10, 2026, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff documented activity at the eruptive vent complex in Halema‘uma‘u during a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit.