Kīlauea Volcano 2020-2021 summit eruption replaces water lake

The KW webcam has documented the recent activity within Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit. The first image, taken on December 20, 2020, just after 6 p.m. HST, shows the water lake that had been growing at the base of the crater over the prior year and a half. Later that evening, an eruption began with vents opening in the walls of Halema‘uma‘u. The water lake, which had risen to a depth of 50 m (164 ft) was quickly vaporized. The eruption generated a lava lake that filled approximately 229 m (751 ft) of the base of the crater. Over the past month, eruptive activity has dwindled and on May 26, 2021, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory lowered the Volcano Alert Level for ground based hazards from WATCH to ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code from ORANGE to YELLOW reflecting the eruption pause. The second image, taken just after 11 a.m. HST on May 27, 2021, shows the dramatic changes within Halema‘uma‘u crater over the past five months of eruption. You can view live KW webcam images here. USGS webcam photos.