Photo & Video Chronology — May 6, 2025 — Kīlauea summit eruption episode 20

Color photograph of erupting lava fountain

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During episode 20 of the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea, lava fountains reached about 500 feet (152 meters). The crater wall behind the vents is 492 feet (150 meters) high, and this photo shows that the top of the fountain from the north vent is reaching slightly higher than the crater wall. Lava falling from the fountain cascades over the cone formed by past eruptive episodes, feeding lava flows onto the crater floor. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

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Lava fountains and flows erupted from both the north and south vents during episode 20 of the ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea. However, the north vent was much more active than the south vent, with lava fountains reaching estimated heights of more than 500 feet (150 meters). Fountains from the south vent reached heights of up to about 65 feet (20 meters). USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

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Dusk view of episode 20 fountaining activity at the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea. This photograph was taken from just east of the Kīlauea Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The pali (cliff) of Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) is visible in the foreground, while a plume of volcanic gas is illuminated in the dusk light. During eruptive episodes, volcanic gas emissions are elevated and typically in the range of 40,000 tonnes per day of sulfur dioxide. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

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The continuous fountaining phase of episode 20 in the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption was brief, lasting just 4.5 hours. The fountaining phase began at 5:28 p.m. HST and ended at 9:58 p.m. HST the evening of May 6, 2025. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.