Photo & Video Chronology — November 13, 2025 — Kīlauea summit eruption episodes 34-36

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory November 13, 2025

The summit eruption of Kīlauea continues, with 36 episodes of lava fountaining since the eruption began on December 23, 2024. Within the past month and a half, fountaining episodes 34, 35, and 36 occurred at the summit of Kīlauea.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

This timelapse video compilation shows Kīlauea summit eruption episodes 34 (October 1), 35 (October 17-18), and 36 (November 9) from two different cameras, one closer to the vent and one farther. The closer camera sustained heat damage during the intense episode 35 fountaining, making the image slightly blurry. This camera was replaced and moved slightly back to a safer spot for episode 36. Both the north and south vents erupted in all three episodes, and the highest fountains yet recorded in this eruption occurred during episode 35, reaching an estimated 1475 feet (450 meters). USGS video.

Color graphic with 36 smaller images of volcanic eruptions — Photo compilation of episodes 1–36 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea, including webcam imagery and photos taken by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists on the ground and during helicopter overflights. In all photos except for episode 7, the south vent is on the left and the north vent is on the right. For the episode 7 photo, the north vent is in the center and the south vent is below it to the right. The episode 5 photo only shows north vent. The episode 30 photo also shows a fissure on the south wall that was active in the first few hours of the episode.

Episode 34: October 1, 2025

Color webcam image of lava fountains erupting — This image, captured by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory K2cam, shows lava fountains erupting during episode 34 of the Kīlauea summit eruption. The lights in the foreground show the walkway to the Uēkahuna Overlook in HAWAII Volcanoes National Park. USGS webcam image taken on October 1, 2025.

Episode 35: October 17-18, 2025

Webcam image of volcanic eruption — This image, captured by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory KWcam, shows lava fountains erupting during episode 35 of the Kīlauea summit eruption. Dual lava fountains within Halemaʻumaʻu crater feed lava flows on the crater floor. USGS webcam image taken on October 18, 2025.

Color photograph of person fixing monitoring station

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineer conducts repairs on a gas sensor downwind of the eruptive vents at Kīlauea summit, after digging out tephra that partially buried the instrument during episode 35 lava fountaining. Photo taken October 21, 2025, by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of person digging a box out of the ground

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

On October 21, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineer dug out monitoring equipment buried by tephra fallout from the episode 35 lava fountaining. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Episode 36: November 9, 2025

Color photograph of dual lava fountains — View of the dual fountains during episode 36 at the summit of Kīlauea, on Sunday, November 9. View is from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater. Peak heights of lava fountains erupted during this episode reached about 350 meters (1150 feet). USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of people standing on the rim of a crater with lava fountains in the background

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park visitors watch the lava fountains from Uēkahuna overlook on Sunday, November 9. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

A telephoto view of the vent region within Halema‘uma‘u crater during episode 36 of lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea, on Sunday, November 9. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of scientist monitoring volcanic eruption

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist collects video of episode 36 lava fountaining from the south rim of the caldera at Kīlauea summit, on Sunday, November 9. Video data helps document activity and is used for later research on lava fountaining dynamics. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of scientists walking on damaged road with lava fountains in the background

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists approach the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater to make observations of episode 36 at the summit of Kīlauea. This section of Crater Rim Drive within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park was damaged in the 2018 summit collapse, and remains closed to the public. USGS photo by M. Patrick on November 9.

Color photograph of volcanic hill with road and vehicle in the foreground

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

The day after episode 36 of the ongoing Kīlauea eruption, USGS geologists inspected the tephra deposit west of Halema‘uma‘u, in the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This photo looks south, with Halema‘uma‘u out of view to the left. Tephra from the lava fountains continues to accumulate and since December 2024 has built up a hill that is more than 140 ft (42 m) high, covering Crater Rim Drive. During episode 36, which lasted only five hours, the hill grew by an estimated 30 ft (9 m). USGS photo by N. Deligne.

Color photograph of fine particles of volcanic glass on a paved road

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Episode 36 lava fountaining from Kīlauea's ongoing summit eruption formed tephra, including Pele's hair (strands of fine volcanic glass). Winds blowing from the north resulted in Pele's hair being deposited in Pāhala, a town about 20 miles (32 km) to the southwest of the eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u. Communities closer to the eruption did not receive any Pele's hair due to the wind conditions. This photo shows light-colored strands of Pele hair on a parking lot in Pāhala. USGS photo by N. Deligne.