Kilauea Volcano is spectacular today.

Hans Blaster · Dec 6, 2025

The eruption is *STILL* going on with an arching fountain from the south vent. Here are some videos from earlier today shot by:

a live human;

December 6, 2025—Video views of episode 38 in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, Kīlauea summit

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. Smaller fountains began from the south vent at 8:49 am HST and quickly grew to over 1000...

www.usgs.gov

a dead web cam:

December 6, 2025—Video views of episode 38 in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, Kīlauea summit

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. Smaller fountains began from the south vent at 8:49 am HST and quickly grew to over 1000...

www.usgs.gov

Small hillock on horizon near end of plume used to be the video camera location. (Road was broken in Summer 2018.)

Larger set of photos from today:

Photo & Video Chronology — December 6, 2025 — Episode 38 at Kīlauea summit

Kīlauea summit eruption lava fountaining episode 38 took place on December 6, 2025, in Halema‘uma‘u crater on the Island of Hawai‘i. Fountains from the south vent reached over 1000 feet (300 meters) in height and inclined to the south, destroying and covering the V3 livestreaming camera.

www.usgs.gov

essentialsaltes · Dec 7, 2025

Enormous Lava Fountain Erupts At Kilauea, Destroys Webcam

Hans Blaster · Dec 7, 2025

Here is the footage of the destruction of the camera in a video clip. (The original camera has been taken off line.)

Another news report:

A few short clips, starting with the break-up of the south cone:

Hans Blaster · Dec 8, 2025

On Friday, when the earliest hints of Episode 38 happened, I was going to post some images from last week's exploration of the impacts, but I thought to myself "I'll do it tomorrow". Well, the volcano had other ideas and put on quite a show on Saturday.

I liked this photo from the Dec 2nd overflight. It shows a small flow of lava above the crater from spatter landing on above the rim on Oct 1st (shutdown, day 1)

Full set:

Photo & Video Chronology — December 2, 2025 — Kīlauea summit overflight

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit on December 2, 2025.

www.usgs.gov

Hans Blaster · Dec 10, 2025

Aftermath of Saturday's eruptive episode:

December 9, 2025—Aerial video of Halemaʻumaʻu crater after episode 38

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...

www.usgs.gov

Photo & Video Chronology — December 9, 2025 — Episode 38 deposits at Kīlauea summit

USGS scientists determine the extent of deposits from episode 38 of lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit, which occurred on December 6, 2025.

www.usgs.gov

includes a mp of new tephra deposits.

Hans Blaster · Dec 21, 2025

A visit to the rim tephra deposits...

Photo & Video Chronology — December 19, 2025 — New V3cam and overflight of Kīlauea summit

USGS scientists conducted a monitoring overflight of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea volcano, on December 19, 2025, during which a new V3cam was deployed on the south rim of the crater.

www.usgs.gov

and a new eruption expected in the next few days.

Hans Blaster · Dec 22, 2025

More fun stuff catching up on the first 38 episodes as the first year of the eruption comes to a close. (Tomorrow, 23 Dec is the anniversary of the start of this eruption.)

First, a new "fill map"

December 22, 2025—Kīlauea summit eruption lava thickness through episode 38

This map shows thickness values for lava flows within Halema‘uma‘u crater from the Kīlauea summit eruption that began on December 23, 2024. These values were calculated by topographic differencing between a digital elevation model collected on December 9, 2025—after eruptive episode 38—and one...

www.usgs.gov

200 M cubic meters of lava, covering 3.8 sq km to an average depth of 68 m and a maximum thickness of 160 m.
The vent opening is about 90 m below the crater rim, 1050 m above sea level and about 40 m above the main lava flow on the floor.

Hans Blaster · Dec 22, 2025

A Fountain-Filled Year at Kīlauea - Infographic

It's been one year since a unique episodic lava fountaining eruption began at Kīlauea’s summit on December 23, 2024—a style of activity not seen in nearly 40 years! Over the past 12 months, Halemaʻumaʻu crater has hosted 38 eruptive episodes, each lasting from a few hours to more than a week...

www.usgs.gov

Hans Blaster · Dec 23, 2025

This eruption began at 2:20 am HST on the 23 Dec 2024. It is now about 1 year and few hours later. The USGS has posted a new anniversary post combining the last two links and a couple thumbnail posters of all 38 episodes here:

Commemorating a fountain-filled year at Kīlauea

Today marks one year since a unique episodic lava fountaining eruption began at Kīlauea’s summit on December 23, 2024—a style of activity not seen in nearly 40 years! Over the past 12 months, Halemaʻumaʻu crater has hosted more than 35 eruptive episodes, each lasting from a few hours to more...

www.usgs.gov

I went back to find the "photo & video chronology" posting from day 1 of the eruption. It has a lot of images, videos, etc. including the very first moments of the eruption. The first image of the two vents that still exist are from the afternoon images at the bottom. In the second to last image (probably bottom row left in your browser) a USGS scientist crouches down on a familiar bit of craggy rim edge to photograph the eruption and the two fountains can be seen on the far wall. The current opening of the vents is about halfway up the rim from the base of the lava from which those fountains emerges in those images.

Photo and Video Chronology — December 23, 2024 — New Kīlauea summit eruption

A new Kīlauea eruption began within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) at 2:20 a.m HST on December 23, 2024. Activity is confined to the caldera, with lava flows covering an estimated 650 acres. Increased volcanic gas emissions are the primary hazard of concern, with trade winds carrying the...

www.usgs.gov

The eruption will get to a 39th fountaining phases in the next couple days most likely the 24-25th. Spatter from the cones, particularly the north cone (offspring of the right fountain in the year old photo). I'll post about video streams a bit later. The HVO has replaced the destroyed V3 camera.

Hans Blaster · Dec 23, 2025

Update webcam info:

V1: With the best view of the north vent and today's early spattering activity is found in post #68

V2: A long view of both vents is found in post #12

V3: a replacement for the destroyed V3 cam. It has the best view of the south vent, but with the permanent shift of the camera to the east, it has a better view of the other (north) vent than before.

Hans Blaster · Dec 23, 2025

First overflow from south vent at 18:42 HST (about 10 minutes ago). Flow is fluid looking and vigrous but without fountains so far. Prior episodes had featured extended periods of thick lava overflowing before more fluid lava flowed in volume.

V3 has a direct view. V1 has it in the background, with some lovely spatter from the foreground north vent.

Hans Blaster · Dec 23, 2025

During the Day the north vent's scattering built a mini cone inside the vent area. At 19:28 HST (about 10 minutes ago) it blew itself apart and began fountaining. Begun this episode has.

Hans Blaster · Dec 24, 2025

Kilauea Message 2025-12-23 21:44:09 HST
The south fountain has reached a height of 1400 feet (420 meters) while the north fountain has dropped to about 700 feet (210 meters). The lower level plume is moving southwest, but the plume about 20,000 feet is moving southeast.

Episode 39 ended at 2:13 a.m. HST on December 24, 2025 when south vent abrupted stopped erupting. North vent stopped erupting earlier at 2:00 a.m. HST.

Hans Blaster · Jan 7, 2026

Between the holidays and some online down time at HVO, there hasn't been a lot to show. The next episode is coming in a couple days.

Visitors in the rain:

From the set at:

Photo & Video Chronology — December 23, 2025 — Mauna Loa overflight and Kīlauea episode 39

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted an overflight of Mauna Loa, and serviced Mauna Loa webcams, on December 23. That night, Kīlauea began its 39th lava fountaining episode, one year to the day from when the eruption began.

www.usgs.gov

with a flyover of a bonus volcano.

The filling of the summit with new lava has been a bit slower this time, so the current estimate is 2 days to a week to the next (40th) episode.

Hans Blaster · Jan 9, 2026

The preliminary activity of episode 40 has begin. The south vent has overflown a couple times (video feed in post #110). The north vent repeatedly "blooping and spashing". The best view is generaly in the V1 camera (post #68), but the vog has been heavy and blowing that direction. There is also the V2 cam in post #12.

Main event is probably tomorrow or Sunday. Enjoy.

Hans Blaster · Jan 10, 2026

The preliminary activity is getting more "spicy" though it hasn't locked in to a full episode yet.

Cam V3 (post #110) has a nice view starting at 6:55 AM HST (about 40 minutes ago) of both vents with low fountaining. (It wanes later rather than building.) At about 6:58 the north (right) vent opens up a bit.

The lava is a bit thinner so a full episode is coming in hours more likely than days. A small taste:

Hans Blaster · Jan 10, 2026

Oh, and the thermal image is fun at sunrise:

The "dot" is the risen Sun.

Hans Blaster · Jan 12, 2026

This episode is slow to start. There have been lots of overflow from both vents. The South vent is building a shield, the north vent has built a cone.

Here is a shot of the north "cone" squirting out while the south vent burbles in the background:

The inflation measure of eruptive potential has been flat for 3 days. It seems like the magma in is matched by lava out.

Hans Blaster · Jan 12, 2026

Sometimes you have to tease the volcano for being slow...

Kilauea Message 2026-01-12 08:40:47 HST
Episode 40 fountaining began at 8:22 a.m. HST as indicated by strong deflation and increase in tremor after the north vent fountains increased dramatically at 8:13. Current north vent fountains remain just under 100 feet (30 meters) high.

Cameras listed in post #110.

Hans Blaster · Saturday at 2:06 PM

Some stuff from Episode 40...

The fountain had this 2-part form, with a lower broad fountain (from the "left vent" which is making the small fountain in post #118) and a narrow fountain reaching 250 m from the "right vent" (as seen by the V1 cam from the north. The south vent did a lot of effusive overflow for about 2 days prior to the main event, but did not produce anything during this episode.

A set of pictures is available here including an updated map:

Photo & Video Chronology — January 12, 2026 — Kīlauea episode 40

Kīlauea summit eruption episode 40 lava fountaining lasted for just under 10 hours on January 12, with maximum lava fountain heights of about 800 feet (250 meters).

www.usgs.gov

Last week's "Volcano Watch" compares the 1969 Mauna Ulu fountains to the current eruption:

Volcano Watch — The 1969 Maunaulu eruption: 12 lava fountaining episodes

Last week’s “Volcano Watch” article reviewed the lava fountaining eruption of Kīlauea Iki in 1959. This week, we’ll continue looking back in time at the next episodic lava fountaining eruption in Kīlauea’s history: the Maunaulu eruption that occurred a decade later, in 1969.

www.usgs.gov

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Kilauea Volcano is spectacular today.

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