Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit episode 53

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory August 12, 2026

Lava fountaining episode 53 at the summit of Kīlauea started on August 12 at 3:45 p.m. HST.

Orange and incandescent lava fountain erupting from a crater — Lava fountaining episode 53 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea began at 3:45 p.m. HST on August 12, 2026. This photo of the fan shaped lava fountain was taken from the Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, around 5:00 p.m. HST when the lava fountains were approximately 500 ft (150 m) high. USGS photo taken by M. Cappos.

Volcano monitoring instrument pointed at a small lava fountain in crater

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A photo of an FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer) instrument that a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses to measure the chemical composition of volcanic gas during the start of eruptive episode 53 at the summit of Kīlauea. The ongoing episodic summit eruption, within Halema‘uma‘u, began on December 23, 2024. USGS photo taken by M. Cappos on August 12, 2026, around 3:45 p.m. HST.

Visitors watch lava fountain at national park viewing area

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Episode 53 of the ongoing episodic Kīlauea summit eruption started on August 12 at 3:45 p.m. HST. The episode 53 lava fountain erupting from the north vent reached heights of approximately 500 ft (150 m) with the gas plume reaching 18,000 ft (5600 m) above sea level. Visitors gathered at the Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to watch the eruption. USGS photo taken on August 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. HST by M. Cappos.

Wide view of lava fountain, rising gas plume, and viewing area — A wide view of the Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, during episode 53 lava fountains of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. The volcanic gas plume rises from the lava fountains as visitors watch the eruption. The ground surface is blanketed in tephra (volcanic rock particles) that were deposited during earlier episodes of this eruption. USGS photo taken by M. Zoeller on August 12, 2026 around 6:00 p.m. HST.