Images

The K2 cam is located on a tower near Uēkahuna bluff in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This image, captured by the K2cam at 11:46 a.m. HST on August 25, 2026, shows visitors at the overlook viewing the lava fountain from the north vent that erupted during episode 54. USGS webcam photo. 

On August 25, 2026, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews were on an overflight of Kīlauea summit when the start of episode 54 lava fountaining began at 10:30 a.m. HST. This aerial view of the growing fountains was taken looking toward the west. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

The north vent fountain was growing around 11 a.m. HST on August 25, 2026, when USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews made observations during an overflight of Kīlauea summit. This view of the vent complex shows the north vent fountain (foreground left) and the inactive south (background left) and west (background right) vents. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Lava fountains from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu, at the summit of Kīlauea volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park during episode 54 on August 25, 2026. USGS photo by C. Gansecki. 

Visitors view episode 54 lava fountaining from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea on August 25, 2026. The north vent lava fountain reached an estimated 500 feet (150 meters) above ground level, and its plume reached 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) above sea level.

The north vent lava fountain in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea was about 150 meters (500 feet) in height around 12:30 p.m. HST on August 25, two hours after the start of episode 54. The volcanic plume rose to around 17,000 feet (5,200 m) above sea level. This photo was taken from Uēkahuna, alongside numerous visitors to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the KWcam, located on the northwest rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image.

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the B1cam, located on the south rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the F1cam, a thermal camera, located on the northwest rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

On a Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight at 8:45 a.m. HST on August 25, 2026, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff sampled a molten lava flow in Halema‘uma‘u. This pāhoehoe flow was from discontinuous overflows during dome fountaining prior to episode 54 fountaining, which started a few hours later at 10:30 a.m. HST.

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea began at 10:30 HST on August 25, 2026. At the time this photograph was taken, from the north rim of the caldera around 11 a.m., the fountain from the north vent was about 50-75 feet (15-20 meters) meters high. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

The episodic lava fountaining eruption at Kīlauea summit has been taking place within Kaluapele, the summit caldera. In this photo, taken during episode 54 on August 25, 2026, around 11:45 a.m.

Around 11 a.m. HST on August 25, 2026, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews had an aerial view of a growing lava fountain at the summit of Kīlauea during the onset of episode 54.

Visitors at Uēkahuna in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park view lava fountaining from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea on August 25, 2026. This photo was taken about 70 minutes after the start the episode 54. USGS photo by N. Deligne. 

The lava fountain erupting from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea during episode 54 on August 25, 2026, generated a lava flow on the caldera-wall side of the vent complex. This lava flow skirted the northwest part of the caldera wall.

The landscape at the summit of Kīlauea has changed during the course of the episodic lava fountaining eruption that began in December 2024. This photograph, taken during episode 54 on August 25, 2026, shows the impressive hill of tephra on the west rim of the caldera, that has built up in the predominant downwind direction from the lava fountains.

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the episode was taken by the V2cam, located on the east rim of the crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

Episode 54 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea took place for about 9 hours on August 25, 2026. This photograph of the eruptive plume during the episode was taken by the KPcam, located on the south flank of Mauna Loa in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image. 

On Friday, August 21, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) organized a helicopter LiDAR mission over flood-damaged areas in the Kaʻū district on the Island of Hawaiʻi following Hurricane Lala that affected the Hawaiian Islands the weekend of August 15. HVO normally uses LiDAR for assessing eruption-related landscape changes in Hawaii.  Helicopter-based L

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter lidar mission on Friday, August 21 provided near-vertical views down into narrow channels carved by streams on the southeast flank of Mauna Loa volcano. This photo shows Hionamoa Gulch just west of the town of Pāhala, clearly widened by flooding during Hurricane Lala the previous weekend.

On Friday, August 21, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) organized a helicopter lidar mission over flood-damaged areas in the Ka‘ū district on the Island of Hawai‘i following Hurricane Lala the previous weekend.