Images

The episode 33 lava fountain from the north vent, at the summit of Kīlauea, is seen beyond the collapsed end of Crater Rim Drive. This portion of Crater Rim Drive was destroyed during the 2018 summit collapse events, and is closed to the public. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

HVO geologists collect video and make visual observations of the episode 33 lava fountain, at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

HVO geologists make an initial assessment of the episode 33 lava fountain from the collapsed end of Crater Rim Drive, at the summit of Kīlauea. This portion of Crater Rim Drive was destroyed during the 2018 summit collapse events, and is closed to the public. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

At 8:38 a.m. HST on September 17, the Halema‘uma‘u north vent overflowed for the first time in advance of Kīlauea summit eruptive episode 33.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on September 12, 2025, the eruption has had thirty-two episodes, with the most recent occurring on September 2.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist descends from the new tephra mound at Kīlauea summit that has been deposited over part of Crater Rim Drive (closed to the public) in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The short wooden post in the bottom left is the top of a sign post for the road. A tephra collection bucket is situated here for tephra sampling.

This view is taken from the flank of the new tephra mound at Kīlauea summit, over Crater Rim Drive (closed to the public) in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The tire tracks of the vehicle mark the path of Crater Rim Drive.

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.

The tire tracks in this photo trace the path of Crater Rim Drive (closed to the public) in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This part of the road is covered by more than a meter (yard) of tephra erupted since December 23, 2024. Just south of this photo, a large mound of tephra accumulated during the ongoing eruption has buried the road over 20 meters (yards) deep.

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.

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. 

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.

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.