Images

Tephra is the material erupted that travels through the air before falling on the ground. During the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea, tephra from each episode of lava fountaining tells us about the magma storage conditions leading to the eruption.

From the north rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists document eruptive activity during episode 32 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists documented episode 32 of Kīlauea's ongoing summit eruption from the Kīlauea Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. There, tephra from the lava fountain was visibly lofted high into the air by buoyant degassing during the eruption. USGS photo by C. Cauley. 

Vigorous lava fountaining during episode 32 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, on September 2, 2025, fed multiple lava channels on Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. These lava channels transported erupted material from the west part of the crater, where the eruption was occuring, to the east side of the crater. USGS photo by N. Kohagura. 

This image was taken by the S2cam during episode 32 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, on September 2, 2025. The S2cam is a temporary webcamera positioned on the south rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauae summit caldera) and the view is to the west. USGS webcam image. 

This image was taken by the S2cam during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, and it has been cropped from the original version. The S2cam is a temporary webcamera positioned on the south rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauae summit caldera) and the view is to the west. USGS webcam image.  USGS photo. 

From the Kīlauea Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists documented episode 32 of the Kīlauea summit eruption that began on December 23, 2025.

Aerial view of the episode 32 lava fountain within Halema‘uma‘u during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring helicopter overflight at approximately 1:00 pm on September 2, 2025. Three vents were erupting from the western side of Halemaʻumaʻu, and feeding lava flows into the western side of the crater.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an overflight of Kīlauea summit to conduct an aerial photo survey and collect lava samples of the current episode. This photo shows the helicopter passing in front of the outgassing plume on its way into the caldera. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava fountaining from the north vent during episode 32 of Kīlauea's summit eruption fed a wide channel on Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. USGS photo by N. Kohagura.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientists visited the V1cam livestream camera site on the morning of August 29 for some maintenance work.

View of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) from the B1 webcam on August 29, 2025, acquired between lava fountaining episodes 31 and 32.

A close-up view of tiny volcanic glass fragments on a leather glove. These particles are abundant around the western rim of Kīlauea summit caldera, an area that is closed to the public due to hazardous conditions. Volcanic glass fragments can cause irritation to eyes, lungs, and skin, and exposure should be avoided.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on August 29, 2025, the eruption has had thirty-one episodes, with the most recent one occurring on August 22 and 23.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist empties water and volcanic glass particles from a tephra collection bucket on the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u. The buckets are used to collect tephra from the eruption episodes for geochemical analyses.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientists hike to the northwest rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) for maintenance at the V1cam livestream camera. The crew wears special personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their eyes and lungs from exposure to tiny volcanic glass particles.

The ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater remains paused following the end of episode 31 on August 23. Intermittent glow is visible from the north vent (lower right) in nighttime views. Small lava channels are visible near the center of this telephoto image cutting through the tephra blanket on the western crater floor.

Clear weather provided good conditions for a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit the morning of August 25, 2025. The overflight allowed USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists to conduct a photogrammetric survey of the crater floor following the episode 31 lava fountaining late last week, as well as to collect lava samples.

A helicopter carries USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists over Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) as it flies over Kīlauea's summit caldera to conduct a photo survey following the episode 31 lava fountaining. Mauna Loa can be seen in the distance. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

On August 25, 2025, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews sampled lava and tephra from episode 31 during a morning monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit. Samples from the episode will be later analyzed in the lab to track changes in the chemistry of erupted material and help scientists understand the processes driving the 2024-2025 episodic eruption.

During a Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight on August 25, 2025, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews documented the geometry of the north vent that fountained predominantly during episode 31. The conduit is at a high angle into the southwest wall of the north vent. USGS photo by K. Lynn.