Images

Just after 7:45 a.m. on March 20, the north fountain at the summit of Kīlauea abruptly shut off during episode 14, and the south fountain rose in height. The height was well above the crater rim, roughly 200 meters (650 feet) above the vent. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava fountaining in the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater from episode 14 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. The south fountain was dominant around midday, and supplied lava into a long, narrow channel that fed into a circular perched lava pond. USGS photo taken by M. Patrick on March 20, 2025.

An HVO geologist captures video of the episode 14 fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea. The videos are time-synchronized to better compare to geophysical data, for later study. USGS photo taken by M. Patrick on March 20, 2025.

An HVO geologist uses a laser rangefinder to measure vent features during the episode 14 lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

As episode 14 lava fountaining occurred during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, the KWcam webcam, F1cam thermal camera and continuous laser rangefinder perched on the crater edge (upper right portion of the photo), provided a continuous record of activity.

Vigorous fountaining began around 6:30 a.m. on March 20, and continued into the early afternoon, as part of episode 14 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea. In this view from the northeast rim of Kaluapele (the summit caldera), the fountains produce a high outgassing plume, with Mauna Loa on the right side of the photo. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A telephoto view looking at the top of a lava fountain from episode 14 of the ongoing Halema‘uma‘u eruption. A trio of Koa‘e kea (white-tailed tropicbirds) were flying circles close to the lava fountain, at the summit of Kīlauea, presumably riding the thermal updrafts around the vent. USGS photo by M. Patrick taken on March 20, 2025.

Once the northern eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea became active on March 19, it began exhibiting cyclic dome fountaining and lava drainback approximately every 5 minutes. In this image captured from above on the western crater rim, the drainback is evidenced by whirlpool textures in the lava pond's crustal plates. USGS photo by M.

Later in the morning on March 19, the northern eruptive vent joined its southern counterpart in effusing a lava flow onto the western floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Here, both vents and lava flows are seen from above on the western crater rim. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

A closer view of the low dome fountain at the northern eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea on March 19, 2025. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

At the summit of Kīlauea on March 19, 2025, the onset of draining at the northern eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater included intense gas jetting, spraying small droplets of lava vertically. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

In the top panel, lava rises in the north vent in Halemaʻumaʻu prior to Episode 14 on March 19, 2025. Note that only a faint, hazy gas plume is visible near the right edge of the lava surface.

Early on March 19, the southern eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea was the primary host of low-level eruptive activity. This photo, captured from the southern crater rim, shows minor spatter at the vent and a small lava flow proceeding onto the crater floor. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

At the summit of Kīlauea on March 19, 2025, cycles of filling and draining at the northern eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater included periods of more intense spattering in the lava pond. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on March 18, the eruption has had thirteen episodes, with the most recent occurring on March 11.

On Friday, March 14, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists on a morning helicopter overflight captured aerial photography to map tephra deposits downwind (southwest) of vents from the Kīlauea summit eruption that began December 23, 2024.

A closer view of Halema‘uma‘u and the downdropped block, within the deepest portion of Kīlauea's summit caldera. Lava flows have crept eastward (towards bottom left in photo) as the crater floor rises with recent infilling. USGS photo taken on March 14, 2025, by M. Patrick.

A low-angle aerial view of the vents where episodic fountaining has been occurring since the start of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on December 23, 2024. A white plume of volcanic gas rises from the north vent (center right) and south vent (center left) cones in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater, as viewed during a monitoring overflight.

This low-level aerial view of the tephra deposit from Kīlauea's ongoing summit eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on Friday, March 14.

An aerial view of the December 31, 1974 fissures and lava flows taken during an overflight of Kīlauea summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone on March 14, 2025. The 1974 eruption lasted 6 hours and occurred in Kīlauea's upper Southwest Rift Zone.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this aerial view of Kīlauea summit on March 14, 2025, during a helicopter overflight. Three days after the end of episode 13 of the ongoing eruption, the north and south cones are degassing in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u.