USGS August 12: Episode 53 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea began from the north vent at 3:45 p.m. HST on August 12, 2026. Fountaining is currently 80-100 ft (25-30 meters) high and expected to reach a maximum height in 1-2 hours. Fountain activity transitioned gradually from precursory lava flows from the north vent. Small glimpses of spatter were seen after 10:00 a.m. HST but spatter was not consistently visible until 11:04 a.m. HST. This was followed by a series of short-lived lava overflows that began at 11:20 a.m., 11:35 a.m., 11:45 a.m., and 12:23 p.m. HST, each lasting 1-4 minutes. A fifth sluggish flow began around 1:00 p.m. HST and became sustained, gradually growing for about 45 minutes. At 1:45 p.m. HST, there was a dramatic increase in output correlated with a switch to deflationary tilt. A double dome fountain formed and began feeding a broad overflow that rapidly extended more than 2000 feet (600 meters) from the vent. Large overflows from ...