Images

At the eastern margin of Halemaʻumaʻu, where the episodic lava fountaining eruption has been taking place since December 2024, lava flows have encroached on nearly the entire surface of the "down-dropped block." This feature lowered during the 2018 collapse and while most of its surface has been covered with new lava flows, much of the volume of the 2018 collapse re

In Halemaʻumaʻu crater, a patchwork of lava flows of different ages from different eruptive episodes at Kīlauea summit have paved the crater floor.

On the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, bulldozers were used to create mounds, visible in the center portion of the image, in an effort to prevent planes from landing in this area of Kīlauea during World War II. The episodic lava fountaining eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu has partially blanketed this area in tephra, but these features remain visible.

A rainbow (ānuenue) frames altered and sulfur-coated tephra on the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea. These deposits often form in between lava fountaining episodes in Halemaʻumaʻu, as degassing and heat release continues. During lava fountaining episodes, new deposits coat the crater rim and bury the existing ones.

Numerous fumaroles, or degassing areas, dot the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea. These features are ephemeral, being covered with lava flows and then reappearing, and are often surrounded with bright yellow sulfur deposits. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

The vent structure that has built up in Halemaʻumaʻu is approaching the elevation of the crater rim, but several hundred feet remain between it and the top of the tephra cone built up on the crater rim by the fountaining episodes since December 2024.

This photograph, which was taken from the ground in the southeastern portion of Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea, shows USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists collecting samples of a lava flow from episode 49 that took place on June 14, 2026.

Comparison images from June 14, 2026, showing the episode 49 lava fountain at 11:01 a.m. (left) and the same location at 5:59 p.m., shortly after the fountaining stopped (right). Only the north vent produced lava fountaining during episode 49, while the south vent (located to the left of the fountain) displayed some minor spattering and jetting.

Logo for the Volcano Minute, a brief audio update about eruptions, earthquakes, or ongoing volcano science in Hawaii brought to you by scientists and affiliates of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

This telephoto view of the north vent lava fountain during episode 49 on June 14. 2026, shows the incandescent lava landing on and illuminating the Halema‘uma‘u crater wall. USGS photo by T. Paladino.

An overview of episode 49 of lava fountaining during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u, taken from Kīlauea overlook in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Fountains reached a maximum height of approximately 210 m (688 ft), but because of wind patterns, little to no tephra was deposited in the public viewing areas of the national park.

Episode 49 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u started at 9:36 a.m. HST on June 14, 2026, and lasted approximately 7.5 hours. Only north vent erupted a lava fountain, which reached a maximum height of about 210 m (688 ft). USGS photo by T. Paladino.

USGS scientists traverse the tephra deposit from the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u on June 14, 2026, to collect real-time measurements of lava fountain heights, tephra dispersal, and crater floor coverage during episode 49.

During lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use laser rangefinders to estimate high how the lava fountains are reaching above the vents and how far the lava flows have traveled from the vents. Additionally, they document eruption dynamics and record eruptive activity using high-resolution cameras.

Episode 49 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u ended abruptly by 5:05 p.m. HST on June 14, after 7.5 hours of lava fountaining activity from the north vent. The final waning stage of fountaining activity lasted less than 5 minutes, during which the lava fountain dropped below 60-80 meters (200-260 ft) in height.

This photograph, taken just after 2 p.m. HST on June 14, 2026, shows a dust devil, or puahiohio, forming within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea during lava fountaining episode 49. USGS photo. 

Map of the 1926 Mauna Loa lava flows (red), with all Mauna Loa lava flows since 1843 shown in peach. The eruption started at the summit (top right of main map) on April 10.

USGS scientists conduct Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight on June 9, 2026, to document changes to the eruptive vents and crater floor after episode 48 that took place on June 1.

Aerial photograph showing the eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight on June 9, 2026. Erupted material (lava flows and tephra) continues to build up the base of the vents, and sulfur precipitation is present on the vent walls (yellow patches). USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Halema‘uma‘u is a culturally significant location, being the home of Pele—the Native Hawaiian deity associated with lava. USGS scientists access this area of Kīlauea summit with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. On June 9, 2026, USGS scientists landed on the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor to collect lava flow samples from episode 48.

On June 9, 2026, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists landed on the floor of Halema'uma'u crater in the vicinity of the south sulphur bank, visible in the background of this photo. The south sulphur bank was prominently visible in the mid-19th century but was covered as lava flows filled the caldera and wasn't visible in the twentieth century.