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 March 18, the eruption has had thirteen episodes, with the most recent occurring on March 11.

On Friday, March 14, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on a morning helicopter overflight captured aerial photography to map tephra deposits downwind (southwest) of vents from the Kīlauea summit eruption that began December 23, 2024.

A closer view of Halema‘uma‘u and the downdropped block, within the deepest portion of Kīlauea's summit caldera. Lava flows have crept eastward (towards bottom left in photo) as the crater floor rises with recent infilling. USGS photo taken on March 14, 2025, by M. Patrick.

A low-angle aerial view of the vents where episodic fountaining has been occurring since the start of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on December 23, 2024. A white plume of volcanic gas rises from the north vent (center right) and south vent (center left) cones in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater, as viewed during a monitoring overflight.

This low-level aerial view of the tephra deposit from Kīlauea's ongoing summit eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on Friday, March 14.

A wide aerial view of the summit caldera (Kaluapele) at Kīlauea volcano, showing recent lava flows (center of photo) filling the deepest portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater. The white outgassing plume from the recently active vents is carried to the southwest in the tradewinds.

An aerial view of the December 31, 1974 fissures and lava flows taken during an overflight of Kīlauea summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone on March 14, 2025. The 1974 eruption lasted 6 hours and occurred in Kīlauea's upper Southwest Rift Zone.

On the morning of March 14, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea. This aerial view shows cones formed during the September 2023 eruption, surrounded and partially buried by lava erupted within the past few weeks during the ongoing (and currently paused) eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this aerial view of Kīlauea summit on March 14, 2025, during a helicopter overflight. Three days after the end of episode 13 of the ongoing eruption, the north and south cones are degassing in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u.

On the morning of March 14, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an overflight of Kīlauea summit to capture thermal and surficial imagery of the ongoing (paused) eruption. Three days after the end of episode 13, this telephoto aerial view shows the north cone degassing in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u.

The section of Crater Rim Drive downwind of the recent fountaining, and in an area closed to the public due to volcanic hazards, has been covered by numerous layers of tephra in the past several months. The tire tracks are centered over the Crater Rim Drive roadway, where USGS scientists access critical volcano monitoring sites.

On March 12, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist on the southwest rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) serviced the S2cam webcam. A plume of water vapor and volcanic gas rises from the two vents of the ongoing eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater, one day after the 13th episode of the eruption. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

An HVO geologist returns from a tephra collection bucket at the summit of Kīlauea, carrying a new sample. The outgassing plume from the vents is carried over the roadway, now covered by over 50 cm (20 inches) of tephra in places. All samples are collected in coordination with, and after receiving permission from, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by M.

On the morning of March 11, the north vent was producing lava fountains about 50 meters (160 feet) high, with fountaining emerging from a small, sloshing pond held within the walls of the north vent cone. The pond can be seen in the lower left portion of the photo, as well as the lava spillway which exits through a notch in the cone that is obscured in this view.

The north and south cones on the western edge of Halema‘uma‘u continued degassing on March 12, a day after the end of episode 13 of the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea's summit. Most of the gas consists of water vapor (the primary volcanic gas), with sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and other gases. Sulfur dioxide emissions are causing vog downwind of the summit area.

A closeup view of the south cone at the summit of Kīlauea, showing the semi-molten nature of the cone flanks. During fountaining, lava accumulates on the cone's flanks at such a high rate that the material remains hot and semi-molten, despite the appearance of cooled, solid material on the surface.

An orange five-gallon plastic bucket, secured by heavy weights, was one of several used to collect tephra from the ongoing lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea. The episode 13 fountaining, however, cast large bombs (some of them molten) in this particular area, battering the ground.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses a handheld laser rangefinder on the southwest rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) to measure the height of the recently active cones within Halema‘uma‘u. USGS photo taken on March 12, 2025, by M. Patrick.

On March 11, HVO geologists observed episode 13 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption from the western caldera rim. Lava fountains from the north vent (left) and south vent (right) were feeding channelized flows across the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Episode 13 fountaining began early on March 11 and continued through an HVO helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit region around 10:00 a.m. Visibility was slightly hampered by passing showers.

During a March 11 Hawaiian Volcano Observatory eruption monitoring flight at Kīlauea summit, scientists landed to make observations and collect samples. At the front of the channelized flow from the episode 13 north vent fountain in Halema‘uma‘u crater, a USGS geologist walks the flow margin to find a safe spot to collect a molten lava sample.