Images

On Tuesday, December 9, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit to survey changes from episode 38 lava fountaining a few days earlier. Scientists collected visual images for photogrammetry, thermal images, and collected lava samples from the caldera floor.

Moments before the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory livestreaming V3cam was destroyed by falling tephra in episode 38 on December 6 ,2025, the V2cam captured the arc of lava erupting from the south vent.  While the maximum fountain height of 384 meters (1260 feet) was on par with prior episodes, the fountaining erupted laterally by 600 meters (1970 feet); easi

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crew captured this photo of Kīlauea summit eruption episode 38 from the southern rim of Halemaʻumaʻu just after noon on December 6. This was shortly after the north vent shut down, so only south vent lava fountains were ongoing, measured to reach 920 feet (280 meters) in height at the time. USGS photo by M.

The V3 camera was located on the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i. The camera, located in a hazardous closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, was buried by tephra from an inclined lava fountain between 9:55 and 9:57 am HST on December 6, during episode 38 that began this morning at 8:45 am.

This telephoto view shows the darker-colored, cooler tephra particles erupted by the episode 38 lava fountains falling from the eruptive plume. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

In the late morning of December 6, a crew of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists walked to the southern rim of Halemaʻumaʻu to watch Kīlauea summit eruption episode 38. Along the way they had dramatic views of the eruptive plume, which reached an altitude of over 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) above sea level during this episode. USGS photo by M.

The volcanic landscape of Kīlauea volcano being reshaped during episode 38 of the eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu.

Views of Kīlauea summit eruption lava fountaining episode 38 in Halema‘uma‘u crater on the Island of Hawai‘i, with ‘ōhi‘a lehua in the foreground. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

An eruptive plume rises from the summit of Kīlauea volcano, visible from Highway 11 near Volcano Village on the Island of Hawaiʻi. This plume was generated during episode 38 of lava fountaining within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, which took place on December 6, 2025. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

During Kīlauea summit eruption episode 38 on December 6, "tephra-nadoes" made a return, as seen to the left of the lava fountain in this photo. Swirling winds in the tephra fallout plume led to this short-lived twister, spotted by a field crew on the southern rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

Top left photo: An HVO scientist stands next to a garden stake with 20-cm (8-in) intervals marked in blue, next to an old road sign that had been progressively buried by tephra during episodes 1-21; this photo was taken May 15. The next day, episode 22 completed buried the garden stake.

This aerial photograph, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of December 2, 2025, shows volcanic gas wafting over the tephra-blanketed rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The ripple-like deposits on the right side of the image, on the crater rim, are spatter-fed lava flows that formed during episode 34 on October 1.

The north and south vents were degassing during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit on December 2, 2025. Eruptive activity at these vents was paused on December 2, following 9 hours of lava fountaining during episode 37 on November 25, but a spattering lava surface was visible deep within both vents. USGS photo by K.

An aerial image of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, showing the degassing eruptive vents in the southwest part of the crater (background) and lava flows erupted during episode 37 on November 25 (foreground. This image was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater on December 2, 2025. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

This black solidified lava channel is a stark contrast to the weathered brown walls of Halemaʻumaʻu crater nearby. The lava channel transported lava from the north vent, along the north rim of the crater, allowing lava flows to reach the farthest regions of the crater to the east during the 9 hours of lava fountaining of episode 37 on November 25, 2025.

An aerial view of the volcanic vents in the southwest part of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlaeua volcano. USGS photo by H. Winslow on December 2, 2025.  

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory often gets asked how long it will take the lava flows to fill in Halemaʻumaʻu crater and spill onto the upper caldera floor of Kīlauea. This photo, taken from the floor of the crater, shows the lava flows from episode 37 (November 25) where they contact the north wall of the crater, which rises several hundred feet above.

An aerial view of the north (right) and south (left) vents in Halema'uma'u, taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of December 2, 2025. Both vents were actively degassing, and a spattering lava surface was visible deep within their conduits.  USGS photo by D. Downs

The steaming north wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall rises several hundred feet above the lava flows that cover the floor of the crater.

This aerial photograph shows Kīlauea, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. In the foreground is the forested area just north of Kīlauea caldera; the slope of Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone rises to the left side of the image, while Mauna Kea is visible in the background. USGS photo by K. Mulliken. 

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of December 2, 2025, geologists were able to see a spattering lava surface deep within the north vent. The yellow material around the vents is native sulfur.