The powerful volcanic activity that shaped Hawaii continues to destroy and create, even today. | National Geographic TV

A swirling ash "tornado" formed next to jets of lava on Sunday as Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is once again shooting lava more than 1,000 feet into the air. During episode 36 of the current series of eruptions, lava fountains reached between 1,000 and 1,100 feet, according to measurements by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The current episodic eruption began on Dec. 23, 2024, and has produced significant lava fountaining not seen since the 1983–86 episodic fountains at the beginning of the Puʻuʻō