Images

Solar-powered seismic station located near the summit of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawai‘i.

A close-up of the breakout point on Pu'u 'O 'o.

Minor activity continues on the floor of Pu'u 'O 'o crater. The crater floor is often obscured by fume, but Kona winds allowed for a nice view today. The recent flows are light grey in color, concentrated in the east (top of photo) and west (behind the fume) ends of the crater.

Multiple small channels of lava flow downslope from a breakout point on the pali. There were several other breakouts producing similar flows upslope.

A gas-rich lava flow on the northwest margin of the new shield.

A new breakout began overnight on Nov 28-29 along the upper section of the TEB tube. The breakout continues to produce lava flows, creating a new rootless shield among the string of previously formed shields.

A close-up of the breakout point on the newly formed shield. The flow is moving from right to left from the breakout point until it branches in several directions near the center of the photograph.

Due to the current activity above the pali, lava flows on the coastal plain, as well as the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry, are inactive.

Geologist changing the data card in a time-lapse camera on the western rim of Pu'u 'O 'o. The lack of trade winds allowed for a clear view into the crater.

A similar wide shot of the flow field, incorporating more of the coastline west of the ocean entry. Hilina Pali is the cliff face in the background. Small lava channels enter the ocean along a section of the Puhi-o-Kalaikini lava delta.

This overlay of a photograph, and a thermal image of the same area, highlights several active breakouts on the coastal plain. Comparing today's image to the composite taken on Oct 28, the breakouts are new, but most of the other features are unchanged.

Looking into the Halema'uma'u Overlook vent during a lava high stand. In the lower half of the vent, several glowing cracks in the crusted lava surface can be seen through the diffuse fume. The remaining portion of the Halema'uma'u Overlook fence is at the bottom of the photograph.

Small lava channels enter the ocean along a section of the Puhi-o-Kalaikini lava delta.

Sulfur dioxide gas emissions from the crater of Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō on Kīlauea’s east rift zone and the vent within Halema‘uma‘u Crater at Kīlauea’s summit create volcanic pollution that affects the air quality of downwind communities.  Here, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemist measures Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō gas emissions using an instrument that detects ga

An aerial view of Pu'u 'O 'o, looking toward the southwest. Although the inside of the crater is shrouded in fume, a distinct plume can still be seen coming from the east wall. This vent has once again become the dominant heat source in Pu'u 'O 'o since the cessation of flows in the crater several weeks ago.

A vigorous but relatively small channelized breakout near the base of the pali began this morning around 4 am. The flow near the breakout point is pahoehoe (shiny appearance), whereas the middle and lower portions of the flow are 'a'a (dull black color).

Close-up of the channelized breakout, showing the lava stream near the breakout point and the surrounding pahoehoe.

This composite image of the coastal plain near Kalapana combines a thermal image and a conventional photograph. The majority of lava is traveling through the lava tube system to the ocean and is not easily detectable in the image. Sometimes, however, the lava tubes do show a clear thermal signature.

The most recent breakout on the coastal plain, which began on October 15, is still active in several places along its southern margin. The lighter grey lava flows in the middle of the photograph are the extent of the latest activity. The flow is 550 m (1800 ft) long and runs parallel with the trace of Highway 130 (the road on the right side of the photograph).

Near-vertical view into the eruptive vent inset within the southeast edge of Halema'uma'u Crater. The crusting, slowly circulating lava surface was about 115 m (375 ft) below the floor of Halema'uma'u.

A vent opening on the north side of the Pu'u 'O 'o crater floor just after 6 am this morning. By 10:30 am, a lava lake up to 10 m (33 ft) deep had filled the eastern half of the crater.