The ongoing eruption at Kīlauea’s summit began at 3:21 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021. Lava activity is currently confined within Halema’uma’u crater. Gas emissions and seismic activity at the summit remain elevated. HVO field crews—equipped with specialized safety gear—monitor the eruption from within the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park with NPS permission.
A telephoto image of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, taken from the northwest rim on November 3.
Low roiling lava continues to erupt from the west vent, with occasional larger bursts of spatter. The spatter cone that has built up since the eruption began on September 29, contains ponded lava that supplies the lava lake through the tubed-over spillway. This photo was taken from an area of Kīlauea’s summit within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains closed to the public due to hazardous conditions. USGS photo by L. DeSmither.
Another telephoto image of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea.
Ponded lava within the spatter cone supplies lava into the lava lake through the tubed-over spillway. The fast-moving lava stream is incandescent as it enters into the lava lake at the base of the cone. As the lava slows and cools, a thin crust begins to form on the surface (center right). This photo was taken from the southern crater rim on November 3, in an area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains closed to the public due to hazardous conditions. USGS photo by L. DeSmither.