Images

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 8 hours on July 15, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the B1cam, located on the south rim of the summit caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Halemaʻumaʻu north vent lava fountains were reaching about 150 meters (500 feet) in height when a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist snapped this photo from Uēkahuna overlook around 11:45 a.m. HST on July 15 during episode 51.

The episode 51 lava fountain as seen from Uēkahuna in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The lava fountain at this time was approximately 500 feet (150 meters) tall and feeding a lava flows across the crater floor. The U.S.

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 8 hours on July 15, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the KWcam, located on the northwest rim of the caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Lava falling from the north vent fountain during episode 51 in Halemaʻumaʻu on July 15, 2026, feeds a lava flow in the crater. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

Halemaʻumaʻu north vent lava fountains were reaching about 150 meters (500 feet) in height when a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist snapped this photo from Uēkahuna overlook around 11:45 a.m. HST on July 15 during episode 51.

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 8 hours on July 15, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the S4cam, located on the south rim of the summit caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 8 hours on July 15, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the V3cam, located on the southern rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

A wide view of Kaluapele and Kūpina‘i Pali (Waldron Ledge) in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Park infrastructure dots the landscape in the lower left and center, with Volcano House in the lower right. The historic Volcano House hotel has existed in various forms and locations at the summit of Kīlauea since 1846. USGS photo by L. Gallant.

Aerial view looking down into the south vent, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight on the morning of July 14, 2026. The glowing edges of cooled plates can be seen, similar to the lava lake that persisted in Halema‘uma‘u from 2008 through 2018.

This aerial view, looking down into the north vent in Halema‘uma‘u, was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight on the morning of July 14, 2026. Small amounts of spatter over the last 12 hours have deposited on and around the vent, giving it a more textured look in the interior part of the depression.

A view of Halema‘uma‘u with Uēkahuna in the foreground. Uēkahuna is the celebrated wahi pana (legendary place) of Kaluapele, the caldera of Kīlauea. An important site for Native Hawaiian ritual and cultural practices, Uēkahuna presents visitors with spectacular vistas of Kaluapele, Mauna Loa, and surrounding areas from the highest point on the rim.

On July 14, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists on a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea's summit region had excellent views into both eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u. This is a telephoto view into the north vent, where the scientists could see two incandescent pukas (holes); the one on the left in this view was actively spattering during the flight.

During the July 14 monitoring overflight of Kīlauea's summit region, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist captured this telephoto view into the south vent in Halema‘uma‘u. Unlike the incandescent but spattering north vent, the south vent hosted an active lava pond within.

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 30, 2026—after eruptive episode 50—and one from before the eruption began.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. Most of the data for this map were collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on June 30, 2026, so the provided statistics are reflective of the entire eruption through episode 50 on June 27. 

This graphic depicts how the weight of volcanoes in the Hawaiian Island Chain can cause the brittle oceanic crust and upper mantle below to flex downward, which can generate deep earthquakes that can be widely felt across the State of Hawaii. USGS graphic.

This map figure shows the locations of magnitude-4.5 and greater earthquakes around the Island of Hawaiʻi in May and June 2026. A magnitude-6.0 earthquake on May 22 occurred beneath the west side of the Island of Hawaiʻi, southeast of Captain Cook at a depth of 14 miles (23 km) below the ocean surface.

During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight on July 7, geologists had to look straight down into the south vent in Halema‘uma‘u to see the active lave pond within.

On Tuesday, July 7, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists completed a brief monitoring helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea.

These before-and-after images show the filling of Halemaʻumaʻu in Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) with lava due to 50 episodes of lava fountaining. The top image was taken by the B1cam during episode 1 of the eruption on December 23, 2024. The bottom image was taken by the B1cam on June 27, 2026, during episode 50 of the eruption. USGS webcam images.