Spectacular scenes as Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano enters most dramatic phase of 2025 eruption. A renewed burst of volcanic activity at Kīlauea has delivered one of the most dramatic displays seen during the current eruption sequence, which has lasted almost a year. Episode 38, which unfolded on 6 December, featured rare “tephra-nadoes” - small, tornado-like vortices whipped up by swirling winds within the ash and cinder plume. A USGS field crew working along the southern rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater captured the fleeting phenomenon as it twisted skyward beside a powerful lava fountain. The whirling column formed when turbulent air currents interacted with dense tephra fallout, creating a brief but striking vortex against the backdrop of incandescent lava. According to the US Geological Survey, Saturday's activity began at around 08:45 HST, when lava surged from the north vent. Four minutes later, the south vent ignited with fountains that quickly soared more than 300 metres (1,000 feet), leaning southward over a closed section of the national park. The intensity of the episode sent sulfur dioxide emission rates above an estimated 50,000 tonnes per day, high enough to generate a towering plume reaching more than 6,000 metres (20,000 feet) above sea level.