Images

Several koa‘e kea birds (white-tailed tropicbirds) were flying circles above the Kīlauea summit eruptive vent on December 29, riding thermal updrafts from the lava pond. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This photo was taken later on December 29, when lava fountains at Kīlauea's summit were approximately 130 feet (40 meters) high. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This zoom view of the three active eruptive vents within Halemaʻumaʻu was captured during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

Maintenance of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's instrumental monitoring network is an ever-ongoing process, but it is especially important during eruptions. Here, two scientists perform repairs on a gas monitoring station located just west of Kaluapele—Kīlauea's summit caldera—on Saturday, December 28, 2024.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this overview photo of Kīlauea's summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu during a morning visit to the crater's southern rim on Saturday, December 28, 2024. Three eruptive vents were active at the time, spattering and feeding lava flows that spread out in a fan shape on the southwestern crater floor. USGS photo by M.

This aerial view shows the June 2023 vent on the south side of Halema‘uma‘u crater during a helicopter overflight at 10 a.m. HST on December 27, 2024. Pauses in the recent eruption that began on December 23 have resulted in drainback, during which some of the erupted lava drains back into the vent.

Lava fountains reached heights of up to 80 meters (262 feet) high during the December 23-25, 2024, Kīlauea summit eruption and tephra was deposited to the south across the old Crater Rim Drive (a closed part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park). In this photo, taken around 10 a.m.

Since the December 2020 eruption began, an "island" of low-density tephra and lava has been submerged and floated on the surface of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake through each successive eruption.

During a helicopter overflight on the morning of Friday, December 27, 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 the summit of Kīlauea volcano.

This oblique aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Friday, December 27, 2024, providing a northeast-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Eruptive activity at Kīlauea around 7 a.m. HST on December 27, 2024, was minimal, with only a few sluggish lava flows oozing out from one of the vents that formed over the past few days. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

During the morning of December 27, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews observed only weak effusive activity at the December 23-27, 2024, eruptive vents in Halema‘uma‘u. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Tephra accumulated in deep drifts downwind of the lava fountains at the summit of Kīlauea. The thickest portion was approximately a half meter (yard) deep, requiring USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory geologists to use 4WD to navigate through this closed portion of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A close up of a large clast from the recent lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea deposited on Crater Rim Drive within the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The lava was very gas rich so this clast was very light, akin to the density of a kitchen sponge. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Tephra ejected by the lava fountains between December 23 and 25, 2024, was carried in the gas plume and deposited on the nearby section of Crater Rim Drive that has been closed to the public for years due to intermittent Kīlauea summit eruptive activity. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Hazy conditions caused by sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from Halema‘uma‘u crater, Kīlauea, Hawai‘i.  USGS photo by Jennifer Lewicki, December 25, 2024.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist stands on the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater and takes photos documenting the recent pause in activity at the vent located in the southwest part Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera). USGS photo by L. Gallant.

Another photo of tephra covering a portion of Crater Rim Drive, at the summit of Kīlauea, that is within the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The road is immediately downwind of the lava fountains that have been active over the past few days, resulting in significant tephra accumulation. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea paused again the morning of December 25—resumption of activity as happened yesterday is possible, but not certain. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists arrived at Halema‘uma‘u crater rim just after the eruption pause, observing very weak spattering and drainback of lava into the vent. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists used a laser rangefinder to measure the height of the lava fountains erupting in Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) on December 24. Between 2:30 and 4:15 p.m. HST, the lava fountains were reaching heights of about 75 meters (246 feet). USGS photo by C. Sealing. 

A telephoto view of lava fountains erupting within Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) the afternoon of December 24. This eruption began on December 23 with vigorous lava and volcanic gas effusion, which decreased throughout the day until the eruption paused around 4:00 p.m. HST. Renewed, low-level eruption of sluggish lava began around 8 a.m.