Images

Fissure eruption of low lava fountains from Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone in 2007, Island of Hawaiʻi.

Azimuth mark, Absolutes building and Coil building at Boulder magnetic observatory.

The Boulder magnetic observatory. Variations and Proton Sensor buildings at the lower right.

Azimuth mark, Absolutes building and Coil building at Boulder magnetic observatory.

Lava fountains from the northeastern vent of the Kamoamoa eruption. Though it is an impressive sight, the Pu'u 'O 'o cone in the background, and several hundred meters higher, puts the current activity into perspective.

Lava, erupting from the southwestern vent of the Kamoamoa eruption, fountains above the surrounding forest.

Overview of the Kamoamoa eruption looking northeast toward Pu'u 'O 'o, in the background. The southwestern vent is in the foreground, while the northeastern vent is the distant fume at the base of Pu'u 'O 'o.

Overview of the Kamoamoa eruption looking south. The northeastern vent is to the left, and the southwestern vent is to the upper right. A river of lava, erupting from the southwestern vent, can be seen advancing toward the southeast through forest within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

View looking down onto the northeastern vent.

Views into the Halema'uma'u vent have been largely obscured by fume over the past several days, and the only consistent views have been with a thermal camera, which can "see" through the fume. This thermal image was taken at a nearly vertical angle from a helicopter, in order to see the bottom of the extremely deep and narrow vent cavity.

Aerial photo showing lava fountains and flows from one of the fissure segments on March 8. A channelized ‘A‘ā flow is hidden by fume to right. Distant fume shows locations of other earlier Kamoamoa fissures active March 5-7. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō about 3.6 km (2.2) in distance from the fountains.

Lava from the erupting fissure produced a large flow that is moving southeast through the adjacent forest.

A broad view of the Kamoamoa fissures. The fissures extend 2.3 km (1.4 mi) between Napau Crater and Pu'u 'O 'o. The western most fissure is just out of view in this photo.

A view of the spattering source from the ground.

A close-up of the flow front in the forest.

With lava retreating deeper into the Halema'uma'u vent cavity over the past two days, the cavity walls have experienced more frequent collapses. At 2:23pm today (March 7), a collapse from the upper portion of the vent cavity produced a robust brown plume, but did not eject any large particles.

A piece of spatter ejected on March 7, 2011. Handheld GPS for scale.

On the west end of the fissure system, spatter ramparts are forming as the lava fallout solidifies in a mound upwind from the source.

Lava was reaching heights above the tree line.

Image from a thermal camera located on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater above the Overlook vent and looking into the vent after the lava lake nearly drained away completely starting March 5. Volcanic tremor and summit deflation began at about 1:42 p.m. HST on March 5, and was shortly followed by draining of the lava lake.

Lava pours from the fissure just after daybreak and cascades out of sight into a deep crack. HVO geologist near upper right for perspective.