Aerial views of Halema‘uma‘u 'overlook' vent lava lake

The lava lake at Kīlauea's summit remains high, probably 45-50 m (150-165 ft) below the floor of Halema‘uma‘u crater. This view, looking toward the southwest, shows the lava ledge on the rarely seen southern side of the pit. The spattering is at the point where the circulating lava lake sinks back down. The overhang on the north side of the pit (to the right) is also more apparent from this perspective. The lava lake extends back under the overhang ~40 m (130 ft)—a distance about even with the right edge of the photo.