Videos

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) geologists on a routine Kīlauea summit monitoring helicopter overflight on Thursday, February 26, collected visual and thermal images to map out the changes on the crater floor following episode 42 lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit that took place on February 15, 2026.

The KWcam is located on the northwest rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The camera is one of many located around the Kaluapele, Kīlauea summit caldera, that aid in monitoring conditions. This timelapse video was created using images captured by the KWcam on February 15, 2026, during episode 42 of lava fountaining. Around 4:20 p.m.

Timelapse video showing tephra cover to cleanup in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Lava fountains during episode 41 of the Kīlauea summit eruption on January 24, 2026, covered the Uēkahuna overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park with tephra fallout. The next morning, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park staff clean the tephra from the area.

This timelapse video shows Kīlauea summit eruption episode 41 on January 24, 2026, captured by a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory research camera on the south rim of the caldera. Both the north and south vents erupted,and the black material in the foreground is falling tephra. USGS video.

Kīlauea began its 39th lava fountaining episode the night of December 23, one year to the day from when this eruption began. This view was taken from the publicly accessible viewing area on Crater Rim Drive near Keanakākoi Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

On December 9, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an aerial overflight of Kīlauea summit region, following lava fountaining episode 38 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption on December 6. In this video, the line on the ground in the lower left portion at the start of the video shows the extent of tephra deposits created during episode 38.

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.

Views of Kīlauea summit eruption lava fountaining episode 38 in Halema‘uma‘u crater on the Island of Hawai‘i. This eruptive episode began from the north vent at about 8:45 am HST this morning, December 6.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted the monitoring overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning of December 2, 2025.

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.

Episode 37 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu began November 25 at 2:30 p.m. with lava fountaining from the north vent.  A wide fountain developed, eventually reaching heights of 500-600 ft (150-180 meters), sending flows across a broad portion of the crater floor.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists observed lava roiling in the north and south vents at the summit of Kīlauea on Friday, November 21. Shortly after, lava flowed onto Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor for the first time since episode 36 (November 9). That activity continued through the weekend, with 73 overflows total.

On November 21, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an aerial overflight of the eruptive vent complex at the summit of Kīlauea. Roiling lava ponds were visible in both the north and south vents during the overflight; the north vent's incandescent pond barely visible in this aerial photo looking down from the north.

This timelapse video compilation shows Kīlauea summit eruption episodes 34 (October 1), 35 (October 17-18), and 36 (November 9) from two different cameras, one closer to the vent and one farther.  The closer camera sustained heat damage during the intense episode 35 fountaining, making the image slightly blurry.

This timelapse video shows changes to the eruptive vent structure in Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) due to repeated episodic lava fountaining that began on December 23, 2024. The images were taken by the B1cam, which is located on the east rim of Kaluapele, and they have been cropped from their original versions. USGS video.

This timelapse video shows the filling of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera) with lava due to repeated episodic lava fountaining that began on December 23, 2024. The images were taken by the B1cam, which is located on the east rim of Kaluapele. USGS video. 

Lava fountaining within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, during episode 32 of the ongoing eruption on September 2, 2025. Various views from the north rim of the crater show lava fountaining from the north vent, feeding lava flows on the crater floor. 

This timelapse video (taken by the S2cam on the south rim of the crater) shows all of episode 32 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, which was active from 6:35 a.m. HST to 8:01 p.m. on September 2. Lava fountains at the north vent reached up to 500 ft (150 m) during this episode. The north vent stopped erupting at 7:49 p.m.

Lava fountained for nearly 13 hours on August 22-23 during episode 31 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on the morning of August 5, geologists observed a lava pond within the north vent of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption. The pond was feeding a subterranean lava tube contained within the east side of the vent cone, toward the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Since December 23, 2024, 30 episodes of lava fountaining have happened in summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.