Activity at the west vent and lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u

Eruptive activity on the west side of HALMEMAUMAU crater, Kīlauea summit, on December 20. Audible bubble bursts from the west vent (lower right) produced brown-tinted gas plumes with entrained lava fragments. The bursts also created pressure waves that displaced the white steam. Just north of the west vent (left), lava was overflowing a levee during a surge in effusive activity that began just before 1:00 p.m. The overflow fed a lava flow that stretched from the west side of Halema‘uma‘u and along the crater wall to the north. During this time, lava also continued to flow into the lava lake (towards the top of the frame).