Images

A view of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, at Kīlauea summit, from the western crater rim. Lava within the main western lava lake (lower center) drained overnight, and now all active surface lava is confined to the small lava pond north (left) of the west vent. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on January 28, 2022.

A telephoto view of the west vent and lava pond within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit. On January 28, HVO field crews only observed active lava within the small lava pond to the north (upper left) of the west vent (lower right). A diffuse volcanic gas plume was being emitted from the west vent. USGS photo taken by L.

On January 27, HVO scientists surveyed parts of the downdropped block in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, north of Halema‘uma‘u crater, for an area to deploy a new continuous gravity instrument funded through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R.

This telephoto view, taken from the northeast rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater and looking to the southwest, shows newly developed spatter cones on the surface of the inactive lava lake in the eastern portion of the crater. These features are similar in appearance to hornitos, which are steep and conical structures that form over lava tubes.

A helicopter overflight on January 25, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

This telephoto view of the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u was captured on January 25, 2022. The Kīlauea summit eruption had been paused for several days, but the eruption resumed several hours before this photo was taken. Over the course of those hours, lava breakouts from the south side of the west vent spatter cone built a small lava shield (left).

This telephoto image shows two lava falls in the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea on January 25, 2022. These lava falls, along the southeastern edge of the active portion of the lava lake, were feeding a lava flow towards the south wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

View looking westward toward the active lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater, taken during a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at 10:46 a.m. HST. Visitors can be seen at the teardrop-shaped Keanakāko‘i viewing area in the bottom, center of the image.

Emily Bryant, a geologist and field engineer visiting from the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, installs an upgraded webcam on the east rim of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lava lake is in the western half of the crater, in the upper right portion of the photo.

View of the western side of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, on January 21, 2022. The image shows the west vent cone (lower left) and orange lava cascading from a pond just north of the west vent into the larger active lava lake to the east (right). USGS photo taken on the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u by J.M. Chang.

View of the west vent cone and adjacent pond of lava flowing into the larger active lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. A small amount of spatter can be seeing erupting from the vent. USGS photo taken on the south rim by J.M. Chang.

Close-up view of spattering lava at the margin of the active lava lake in the western side of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Blue-tinged sulfurous fumes can be seen emanating from the active lava lake. USGS photo taken on the south rim by J.M. Chang.

Telephoto view of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater after it resumed erupting in the late morning of January 18, 2022. A lighter gray gray recent lava flow is visible emanating from the west vent, and active lava upwells from the lava pond adjacent to the west vent in the upper left part of the photo.

Telephoto view, from the south rim of the Halema‘uma‘u crater, of the upwelling lava pond cascading into the broader lava lake. This photo was taken approximately an hour and a half after the Kīlauea summit eruption resumed at approximately 11 a.m. HST on January 18, 2022. USGS image by K. Mulliken.

The large island that formed in December 2020 remains visible within Halema‘uma‘u crater in this telephoto image.

The active lava lake surface in Halema‘uma‘u crater has lowered during the eruption pauses that have been occurring recently at the summit of Kīlauea.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists arrived at the summit of Kīlauea shortly after the eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater resumed on January 18, 2022.

A telephoto lens captured this view of crustal plates forming on the lava lake surface within Halema‘uma‘u on January 14, 2022. The plates are being transported southeast (to the top of the photograph) into the larger lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS image by C. Parcheta.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists prepare an Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) unit for launch at Kīlauea summit on January 14, 2022. Imagery collected by the UAS will be used to generate a 3-dimensional model that will be used to evaluate the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u for changes.

An Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) unit surveys the eruption site at the summit of Kīlauea on January 14, 2022. UAS photos, data, and samples help scientists to understand ongoing volcanic processes and their associated hazards, and to detect changes that might indicate shifts in the character of activity.

Eruptions within Halema‘uma‘u crater over the past year have filled in the deepest part of Kīlauea caldera that collapsed during 2018. This image shows the young lava lake surface bounded by fault scarps that formed within the caldera during 2018.