Images

No changes were observed at Kīlauea's summit during a brief field visit on September 3, 2021. Sunny weather made for spectacular views, though strong winds were blowing. The solidified crust of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u—which was active from December 2020 to May 2021—is visible in the lower center of this image. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

View from a temporary webcam, which is located just southwest of Kīlauea summit caldera, and looks south over the area of the August 2021 intrusion. The dark lava flow on the left of image (mid-ground) is where the 1982 lava flow spilled out of the south caldera.

Algal accumulation near the shore of the Gathering Pond below Milford Lake.

The USGS Active Groundwater Level Network includes about 20,000 wells that have been measured by the USGS or USGS cooperators at least once within the past 13 months. The animation shows snapshots of water-level statistics in the network during August 2021.

Photomicrographs from a California newt (Taricha torosa) found moribund in California, USA. (A) Necrosis of the tail tip with exposed vertebral bone (B), hyperplastic epithelial regrowth at the edges (arrowhead), moderate mixed leukocytes and dilated lymphatics (*), and a few osteoclasts remodeling the exposed bone (arrows). H&E stain 4X.

To survey the bathymetry off of the Pea Island DUNEX site WHOI investigator Peter Traykovski, and USGS investigator, Chris Sherwood, prepare to launch the ASV into the water to measure the bathymetry of the Pea Island DUNEX site.

USGS Hydrotechs sample collecting in the early morning at the Gathering Pond below Milford Lake.

HVO technician Steven Fuke checks the solar panel at station HRPKE while conducting station maintenance on September 1. HVO remote monitoring stations are powered via solar panels and a suite of batteries.

Station HRPKE is located southwest of Kīlauea's summit, in the upper Southwest Rift Zone region, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The station measures sulfur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations in the air, as well as local meteorological data such as wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall.

View to the southwest from HVO station HRPKE, showing Pu‘ukoa‘e on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone in the background.

Algal accumulation at Ferguson Marsh in the Perry Lake Wetland Complex.

Photo taken from a bridge over Ferguson Marsh. Hydrologic technicians Ryan and Justin kayaking through Ferguson Marsh to identify sampling locations for potential CyanoHABs.

Photo Contest Winner | September 2021 | Honorable Mention 2

Liz Nystrom captaining a boat on the Hudson River

On August 31, the water level in Keller Well was measured at approximately 514.12 m (1686.75 ft) below the ground surface. Though an intrusion of magma took place beneath the ground surface in Kīlauea's south caldera region from August 23–30, water level in Keller Well does not show significant changes as a result of this event. USGS image by P. Nadeau.

On Tuesday, August 31, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists and technicians visited the Keller Well in Kīlauea's south caldera region. Water from the well is typically sampled and analyzed quarterly to monitor how magma supply to Kīlauea's summit reservoirs might impact regional ground water.

Point Barrow, Alaska, or Nuvuk, is the northernmost point in the United States. USGS has set up video cameras, mounted to the pole shown here, to study sediment movement and wave dynamics along this dynamic coastline.

Point Barrow, Alaska, or Nuvuk, is the northernmost point in the United States. USGS has set up video cameras, mounted to the pole shown here, to study sediment movement and wave dynamics along this dynamic coastline.

Point Barrow, Alaska, or Nuvuk, is the northernmost point in the United States. USGS has set up video cameras, mounted to the pole shown here, to study sediment movement and wave dynamics along this dynamic coastline.

This map depicts the detected intrusive activity over the past week at Kīlauea Volcano. The initial swarm of small earthquakes from August 23–25 was centered in the south caldera region, as labelled on the map.

Pore waters from Yellowstone Lake sediment cores collected in August 2021 are extracted through filtration devices into plastic syringes.  Note that the second core from the left appears light in color because the plastic core liner was etched by very hot 91°C (196°F) fluids.

Gravity coring device on the rear deck of the R/V Annie after coring the floor of Yellowstone Lake, with dark mud coating the outside of the corer.  The 100-lb. green coring head is at the top, and the bottom of the barrel has a tapered stainless steel core cutter.