Kīlauea Summit Before Episode 54

Captured on August 22, 2026, three days before the start of Episode 54 of Kīlauea’s ongoing summit eruption on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island. The photographs document an earlier phase of volcanic activity, with dense plumes of smoke, steam, and volcanic gases rising from the summit crater, but no visible lava.

Photographed in broad daylight, the images focus on the atmosphere and subtle signs of an active volcano rather than the dramatic presence of erupting lava. The dense volcanic plumes rising above the crater create a powerful sense of anticipation, capturing Kīlauea in the moments immediately preceding another episode of its continuing eruption.

The photographs provide a documentary record of the rapidly changing volcanic landscape and the powerful geological forces continuously shaping Kīlauea’s summit.