USGS staff deploy a new V3cam on the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. (USGS photo by M. Patrick)

USGS Replaces Webcam Destroyed By Kīlauea Lava Fountain

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Dec 20, 2025

HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - The eruption at the summit remains paused, with the next episode expected sometime next week.

UPDATED on Dec 20, 2025

(BIVN) – Scientists on Friday deployed a new webcam on the rim of the Kīlauea volcano summit crater, replacing the webcam destroyed by the dramatic lava fountain earlier this month. 

The new V3cam has been installed on the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and is already livestreaming via YouTube.  

The new V3cam is to the east of the location where the previous V3cam was knocked offline during episode 38 on December 6, 2025. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the new camera is a pan-tilt-zoom model and the view may change depending on activity. 

The view on Saturday morning from the new USGS V3cam, overlooking Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea.

The ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is paused, with the next episode (episode 39) likely to occur between December 22 and 27. The USGS Volcano Alert Level for Kīlauea remains at WATCH. 

The ongoing eruption is nearing its one-year anniversary. The eruption began on December 23, 2024. 

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