Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater - September 30, 2021

Morning light and shifts in the volcanic gas plume allowed field crews on September 30 to glimpse the surface of the main island that remains from the 12/2020–5/2021 lava lake. The island appears to be blanketed with a new coating of spatter and tephra from nearby fissures within the lava lake, with minor overflows at the edges. Measurements by field crews indicated that the highest point on the island is 8 m (26 ft) higher than it was earlier this month; since it is unlikely that the deposit of new spatter and tephra is actually this thick, the measurements seem to indicate the island has lifted up and is floating within the lava lake once again. This zoomed-in view shows the northeast part of the island. USGS photo taken by M. Zoeller.