A view of the large pyroclastic cone that continued lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit has produced against the western wall of the caldera. Lava pours out of the vents into a large, ponded area in the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

A close-up view of an active lobe of pāhoehoe lava flowing in Kaluapele, the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, on January 3, 2025. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Pieces of lava (called tephra because they travel through the air before being deposited on the ground) blanket the crater rim downwind of the erupting vents in Kīlauea summit caldera (Kaluapele). Geologists collect samples of this material to analyze later to learn about the magma storage conditions before the eruption. They carry personal protective equipment while working in this closed are of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, such as gas masks and volcanic gas detection badges. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Volcanic gas scientists service one of the volcanic gas monitoring stations downwind of Kīlauea summit, with the eruption plume passing overhead. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have remained elevated over the past week and were measured as 30,000 tonnes per day on January 2. USGS photo by B. Lopez.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists captured this image of the Kīlauea Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park during an early morning helicopter overflight on January 3, 2025. Using the cars as a scale, it's easy to see how close the overlook is from the edge of the cliff. It is important to stay behind the safety barriers and listen to the instruction of National Park personnel when viewing the eruption. USGS photo by L. Gallant.

An early morning view of summit of Mauna Kea, the flank of Mauna Loa, and the current eruption of Kīlauea captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight. The north vent shutdown at 2:16 p.m. on January 2 after parts of the cone collapsed into the fountain but is still producing a small gas plume to the right of the active fountain. The eruption is now confined to a single vent producing lava fountain is 60-100 ft (20-30 m) high and feeding flows that are covering most of the crater floor to the down-drop block. USGS photo by L. Gallant.

This photo, taken from near the S2cam, shows the active lava fountain within Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea, the cone (brown) that has built up around the lava fountain, the southwest portion of the lava lake (silver and black), and the rising plume of volcanic gas. The plume comes from the active lava fountain and also a cone to the north (right) of it that is now inactive but still degassing. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

This telephoto view shows the active lava fountain within Halema‘uma‘u as seen from the south looking north. Since the eruption started on December 23, 2024, a 125-foot (38 meter) cone has built up around the lava fountain shown here. In the upper left part of the photo there is a plume (white) rising from the now-inactive north vent, which shut off in the afternoon of January 2, 2024. USGS photo by N. Deligne.