April 21, 2023 — Sunrise from inside Halema‘uma‘u crater, Kīlauea summit

Early in the morning on Friday, April 21, two crews of geologists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory flew via helicopter into Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea to collect geologic samples. One crew visited the crater floor to sample cooled lava from the 2020–2023 summit eruptions, and another crew scaled part of the crater's northwest wall to sample ash beds and lava flows dating back many thousands of years in the volcano's past. Both crews witnessed a spectacular sunrise from inside the crater, as captured in this panorama from the base of the northwest wall. USGS image by M. Zoeller.