Images

Graph of tilting at the summit of Kīlauea recorded by the UWD tiltmeter, located near Uēkahuna bluff on the north side of the caldera and the SDH tiltmeter located south of the caldera.

Lava fountaining in the southwest portion of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) has producing tephra cone perched along the caldera wall. USGS photo by M. Patrick on January 2, 2025. 

On January 2, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists measured lava fountains at Kīlauea summit reaching heights of 262-295 feet (80-90 meters). USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Two vents were active today at Kīlauea summit. The southern vent was producing the dominant fountain (left side of image) and had built a large pyroclastic cone abutting the western caldera wall. The northern vent had a lower fountain (right side of image) and a smaller cone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Koaʻe kea (white-tailed tropicbirds) continuously fly around the lava fountain and above the lava pond at Kīlauea summit. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u as of January 2, 2025. Since the onset of the eruption on December 23, 2024, it has covered a total of 673 acres (272 hectares) with new lava (pink area), and approximately half that area still hosts active flows (red area).

Another telephoto view of the vents erupting at Kīlauea summit on January 2, 2025. View is from the closed west rim area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

At dawn on December 31, 2024 the eruption in Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) continued. The plume of volcanic gas seen here was blown to the southwest of Kaluapele across the closed Crater Rim Drive in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Zoom view of the lava flow field from the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on December 31, 2024. The eruption continues to feed lava throughout Halemaʻumaʻu crater, where lava channels and outbreak lobes like these are forming. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Here, a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist takes images and measurements of lava fountain heights during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on December 31, 2024; the eruption began on December 23 and has continued in episodic pulses. Geologists conduct shifts throughout the week to monitor the eruption and note any changes.

Shortly after sunrise on December 31, 2024, the eruption at Kīlauea's summit continued with 50–80 foot (15–25 meter) lava fountains continuously feeding flows across the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

At 6:30 a.m. on December 31, 2024, the eruption continued in Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) with 50–80 foot (15–25 meter) lava fountains from two vents. A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crew observed continuous fountaining that fed an expanding lava fan across the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

This panorama, stitched from eight photos taken at different angles, shows the eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater and its volcanic gas plume in the dawn light on December 31, 2024. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a south-looking telephoto overhead view of the lava fountains within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

During a helicopter overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists were provided a low-level view of the eruptive vents in the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

An Aerial view of two eruptive cones in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit on the morning of December 30, 2024. The fissure fountains reached heights of approximately 30 meters (100 ft) and lava flows continue to cover a portion of the crater floor. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses a laser rangefinder to collect fountain height measurements from the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. Fountain heights reached approximately 30–35 m (100–115 ft) on the morning of December 30, 2024.

Aerial view looking to the southwest of the active and inactive parts of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The dark black lava in the foreground covered most of the crater floor on the first day of the eruption, starting around 2:20 a.m. on December 23, 2024.

This annotated image shows the lava flows and tephra deposits of the southwest portion of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera). The photo was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, with a view to the east.

This compilation shows thermal maps of Kīlauea summit eruption from December 23-30, 2024. Initially high eruption vigor resulted in lava flows covering much of the southwest portion of the caldera with active lava flows on December 23, 2024.

Photo of the lava flows in the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater just before dawn on December 30, 2024. These lava flows are reaching about 2,300 ft (or 700 m) from their source at the lava fountains and covering the pre-existing topography. The flows currently cover about a quarter of the western part of the crater floor. Photo by U.S.