Photo & Video Chronology — April 9, 2025 — More views of Kīlauea episode 17

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory April 9, 2025

Episode 17 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended at 9:45 a.m. HST on April 9 when low fountaining at the south vent stopped. Fountains from the south vent sustained heights of 50-200 feet (15-60 meters). Overall, episode 17 lasted 35.5 hours.

Color photograph of active volcanic vent

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During a monitoring overflight on April 9, 2025, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews observed that the ponded lava in the north vent from April 8 had drained and/or collapsed. The south vent was still active, with fountaining sending lava flows across the floor of Halema‘uma‘u. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

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During a monitoring overflight at 7:15 a.m. HST on April 9, 2025, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews observed Pāhoehoe flows on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. These flows were fed by the south vent fountains, which ceased activity around 9:45 a.m. this morning, April 9, marking the end of episode 17. USGS photo by E. Johnson.

Color photograph of eruption within crater

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A helicopter overflight the morning of April 9, 2025, at 7 a.m. HST provided views of the episode 17 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea just a few hours before it ended. The lava fountains were supplying lava into a flow that covered much of the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. The fountains also produced a towering outgassing plume above the summit. Mauna Loa is visible in the background. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

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Lava fountains during episode 17 supplied lava into a broad lava flow field covering much of the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. Here, a small lobe of pāhoehoe breaks out at the far eastern end of the crater. The lava fountain and its degassing plume are visible in the distance. USGS photo by M. Patrick

Photograph of scientist collecting sample of lava

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A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist collects a molten lava sample for geochemical analysis, which will inform hazard analyses of the ongoing eruption. This lava flow was supplied by lava fountaining in the western end of the crater, during episode 17 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of eruption and rainbow

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This photo shows the low fountaining in the south vent, at the summit of Kīlauea, just minutes before the fountaining ended at 9:45 a.m. HST on April 9, 2025. Visibility in the caldera was variable this morning with passing showers. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

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This video shows clips from a helicopter overflight and a field visit by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists to the crater rim to observe the lava fountaining in episode 17 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea. The lava fountaining was producing a towering outgassing plume above the summit, and was supplying lava into a swiftly flowing channel carried lava east across the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. USGS video by M. Patrick and C. Gansecki.

Color map showing eruption statistics — This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on April 9, the eruption has had seventeen episodes, with the most recent concluding earlier this morning. However, most of the map data included here were collected during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on April 2, immediately following episode 16; for this reason, the provided statistics only reflect the first sixteen episodes of the eruption. Additionally, the collected data were insufficient to calculate the total lava volume for the eruption at that time.

Color map of lava flows on crater floor — This thermal map was taken on the 7 a.m. overflight of Kīlauea summit on April 9, 2025, and shows the expansive lava flow covering the floor of Halema‘uma‘u, supplied by lava fountains at the vent. As in earlier episodes, the lava exited the vent into a short channel that fed a broad perched lava pond. Lava channels then drained this pond and carried lava farther to the east. A small ooze-out, fed by lava supplied beneath the solidified crater floor, was present in the south portion of the crater. The fountaining ended a few hours after the flight, ending episode 17.