lava lake level began to drop in concert with summit deflation

Kīlauea's summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u did not initially respond to the volcano's East Rift Zone activity (collapse of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater floor and magmatic intrusion into the rift zone) on April 30. But on May 2, the lava lake level began to drop in concert with summit deflation, suggesting that magma was moving from the summit into the East Rift Zone. By Friday, May 4, when this photo was taken, the lava lake level had dropped 85 m (279 ft). The lake continues to drop. Lava that spilled from the lake and onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u during April 21–27 formed the dark-colored flows that can be seen on either side of the lava lake.