From the north rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea, the lava fountain from the north vent rises above the crater rim visible in the foreground. This photograph was taken just after 10 a.m. HST, and cooled, dark-colored tephra particles falling from the lava fountain are visible, illuminated by the incandescent lava fountain the background. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

During episode 46 of lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea, the lava fountain from the north vent reached a maximum of 650 feet (200 meters) above ground level and the volcanic plume reached a maximum height of about 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above ground level around 10:30 a.m. HST on May 5, 2026. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory volcanic gas specialist sets up a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer, or FTIR, near Kīlauea summit during episode 46 of lava fountaining on May 5, 2026. FTIR instruments detect incoming infrared (IR) radiation—the type of radiation associated with hot/warm objects having wavelengths slightly longer than the visible light we can see with our eyes. FTIR is used to characterize volcanic gas emissions during eruptions. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

During episode 46 at the summit of Kīlauea on May 5, 2026, the north vent erupted lava fountains reaching a maximum height of 650 feet (200 meters) above the vent. This photograph was taken from the north rim of Kaluapele, Kīlauea summit caldera, at approximately 1 p.m. HST. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

During the beginning of episode 46 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea on May 5, 2026, winds blew from the southeast direction. Volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material were distributed to the northwest direction from Halemaʻumaʻu, with fist-sized and sparse smaller clasts reported at Uēkahuna overlook in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and between mile markers 31 and 32 on Highway 11. This photograph shows the parking area of Uēkahuna overlook at 9:45 a.m. HST, an hour and a half after the lava fountaining episode started. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

From the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, the north vent lava fountain during episode 46 on May 5, 2026, rose above the crater rim. In the foreground, the damaged remains of Crater Rim Drive, which became impassable during the 2018 Kīlauea summit collapse, are littered with tephra fallout from past lava fountaining episodes. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Pele's hair, lapilli, and ash particles from episode 46 of lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea were transported by wind in a north-northwest direction during the latter half of the episode on the afternoon of May 5, 2026. This photograph shows a tubular tumbleweed that was nearly 1 foot (30 cm) long, which had accumulated at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field station near the Kilauea Military Camp in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (purple highlighter for scale). USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

This macro photograph shows Pele's hair, strands of volcanic glass, that had accumulated into a tumble-weed-like structure where it fell at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field station near Kilauea Military Camp in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. A highlighter cap provides a scale. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

Just after 10 a.m. on May 5, 2026, the eruption plume from episode 46 of Kīlauea summit lava fountaining was visible in the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory MLcam, located on the north rim of Mokuʻāweoweo (Mauna Loa summit caldera). The eruptive plume from episode 46 reached a maximum elevation of about 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level according to the National Weather Service. USGS webcam photo. 

The north vent (right in photo) in Halemaʻumaʻu erupted a lava fountain during episode 46 at the summit of Kīlauea on May 5, 2026. The south vent (left in photo) spattered intermittently during the first half of episode 46, and gas jetting continued to be visible during the latter half of episode 46. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist monitors episode 46 lava fountain in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea. From various locations around Kaluapele, Kīlauea summit caldera, USGS scientists check for tephra fallout, document and characterize eruptive activity, and measure the lava fountain and volcanic plume heights. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

The lava fountain from the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea viewed from the south rim at approximately 3 p.m. HST on May 5, 2026. Channelized lava flowing from the north vent fed lava flows on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Another view of the north vent erupting a lava fountain at the summit of Kīlauea during episode 46 on May 5, 2026. This photograph was taken from the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu, and part of the crater rim visible in the foreground. Incandescent lava flows on the crater floor are visible emanating downslope of the north vent. USGS photo by M. Patrick.