Images

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses a laser rangefinder to collect fountain height measurements from the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. Fountain heights reached approximately 30–35 m (100–115 ft) on the morning of December 30, 2024.

Aerial view looking to the southwest of the active and inactive parts of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The dark black lava in the foreground covered most of the crater floor on the first day of the eruption, starting around 2:20 a.m. on December 23, 2024.

This annotated image shows the lava flows and tephra deposits of the southwest portion of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera). The photo was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, with a view to the east.

Photo of the lava fountains and flows within the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater just before dawn on December 30, 2024. The lava fountains have started to build scoria cones around themselves with the fountains consistently reaching to 30 m (100 ft) high. These fountains are feeding lava flows that have covered the western quarter of the crater floor.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a southwest-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. The lava fountains are visible in the center of the image, in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u.

This thermal map shows eruptive activity on December 30, 2024, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea.  Lava fountaining and flows were active in the southwest portion of the caldera. Cooler colors (purple, black) show lower temperatures while hotter colors (orange, yellow) show higher temperatures. 

A close-up photo taken just before dawn of the lava fountains in the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit, on December 30, 2024. These lava fountains are consistently reaching 30 m (100 ft) high and building a spatter cone that is about 20 m (65 ft) high, 95 m (310 ft) long, and 60 m (200 ft) wide. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey geologist D.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a southwest-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater.

This photo was taken later on December 29, when lava fountains at Kīlauea's summit were approximately 130 feet (40 meters) high. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Fountaining at Kīlauea summit has increased in vigor on December 29. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on the crater rim the morning of December 29 observed an increase in height throughout their field shift, up to about 40 m (130 feet). Lava effusion was also starting to form a perched lava pond in front of the vents. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

This map shows deformation at Kīlauea volcano associated with the ongoing eruption that started on December 23, 2024. The image covers the timespan from December 17–29, 2024, using data acquired by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A satellite. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation, with more fringes indicating more deformation. Each

A telephoto view of the fountaining within Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) observed by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists the morning of December 29 from the south rim of the crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Sufficient spatter was being deposited to produce a spatter-fed flow down the steep eruptive vent rampart at Kīlauea summit on December 29. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Passing showers on the morning of December 29 at Kīlauea summit produced a rainbow (known in Hawaiian as an "Ānuenue") visible near the active lava fountaining. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

On December 29, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected scaled video of lava fountaining as well as laser rangefinder measurements of fountain heights and crater floor elevations. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Several koa‘e kea birds (white-tailed tropicbirds) were flying circles above the Kīlauea summit eruptive vent on December 29, riding thermal updrafts from the lava pond. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this overview photo of Kīlauea's summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim on Saturday, December 28, 2024. Three eruptive vents were active at the time, spattering and feeding lava flows that spread out in a fan shape on the southwestern crater floor. USGS photo by M.

This zoom view of the three active eruptive vents within Halemaʻumaʻu was captured during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

Maintenance of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's instrumental monitoring network is an ever-ongoing process, but it is especially important during eruptions. Here, two scientists perform repairs on a gas monitoring station located just west of Kaluapele—Kīlauea's summit caldera—on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

This oblique aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Friday, December 27, 2024, providing a northeast-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Eruptive activity at Kīlauea around 7 a.m. HST on December 27, 2024, was minimal, with only a few sluggish lava flows oozing out from one of the vents that formed over the past few days. USGS photo by K. Lynn.