Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

October 8, 2021—Kīlauea summit eruption thermal maps

October 9, 2021

 

Thermal map of eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea, made on October 8
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A helicopter overflight on October 8, 2021, at approximately 8:00 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures. The dimensions of the new lava lake are 1020 m (0.6 mile) east-west axis and 725 m (0.5 mile) in north-south axis. The estimated area of the lake is about 56 hectares (138 acres). USGS map by M. Patrick.
Detailed thermal map of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake constructed from imagery collected during October 8 helicopter overflight
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This detailed thermal map of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake is a zoomed-in version of the broader map above, constructed from imagery collected during a helicopter overflight on October 8, 2021, at approximately 8:00 a.m. HST. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures. The only remaining active eruptive vent at this time is the west vent; several hotspots in the southern part of the lava lake correspond with short lava cascades between the higher western half and lower eastern half of the lake. USGS map by M. Patrick.
series of thermal maps depicts the development of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake since the recent Kīlauea summit eruption started
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
This series of thermal maps depicts the development of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake since the most recent Kīlauea summit eruption started in the afternoon of September 29, 2021. Between September 30 and October 1, the only substantial change was the deactivation of the eruptive vents within the central and southern parts of the lava lake. Approaching October 8, however, large sections of the lava lake surface began to stagnate and solidify, especially in the northeastern part of the lake. The only remaining active eruptive vent at this time is the west vent. USGS maps by M. Patrick.
Was this page helpful?