Videos

A routine helicopter overflight of the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea on March 4, 2021, allowed HVO geologists to conduct an updated visual and thermal survey. This video is shown at 5x speed and follows the new coastline created during the 2018 eruption in the Kapoho area.

This video clip shows the inlet zone where lava enters the lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. 
 

This video shows a close-up of the small inlet where lava enters the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The inlet consists of a small upwelling zone, with lava rapidly developing a thin flexible crust as it moves away from the source.

On February 11, 2021, no major changes were observed at the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The inlet site where lava is entering the lake had a small upwelling zone raised slightly above the surrounding lake surface. 

An overflight today provided aerial views of Kīlauea's ongoing summit eruption. No major changes were observed at the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Active surface lava is still largely limited to the western portion of the lake. Snow on Mauna Kea can be seen in the distance.
 

This video clip from February 4, 2021, shows the erupting west vent and the growing lava lake within Halema'uma'u. The start of this video focuses on the active western portion of the lava lake, which measured approximately 212 m (696 ft) deep at this time. A plume of volcanic gas is seen rising continuously from the west vent.

Eruptive activity continues at the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This video was taken on February 1 from the morning helicopter overflight. The western fissure supplies lava to the lake at an inlet site along the west lake margin. Activity has been stable in recent days with no major changes.
 

Eruptive activity continues within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The western fissure continues to supply lava into the lava lake, with active surface lava largely confined to the western portion of the lake.
 

Because Mauna Loa has been quiet for almost 30 years, residents may not be aware that Mauna Loa is an active volcano. When Mauna Loa erupts, it is capable of disrupting lives and commerce throughout the Island of Hawai‘i. What can we learn from Mauna Loa’s past eruptions?

Flames have been observed numerous times at the western fissure in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The combusting gas is not certain, but flames were observed numerous times in Halema‘uma‘u during the early 1900s lava lake.

Cyclic fluctuations in eruptive vigor were present recently at the western fissure in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The cycles occurred on January 22 and 23, with cycles lasting 5-6 minutes. Peaks in the cycles were expressed as high flow rates in the channel and spattering at the vents. During troughs in the cycles, the channel became nearly inactive.

On December 20, 2020, an eruption began in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea Volcano’s summit, ending a two-year eruptive pause. The water lake that appeared at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u in late July 2019, which had grown to be over 50 meters (55 yards) deep and more than 10 acres in surface area, quickly vaporized and was replaced by a growing lava lake.

This video shows the two main vents active at the western fissure in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit, with both supplying lava to the lava lake. Low fountaining was present at each vent. 
 

Low fountaining remains active in the western fissure, supplying lava to the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Spatter deposits have built up a spatter cone around the vent.

A helicopter overflight on the morning of January 12, provided airborne views of the lava lake and active fissure within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Low fountaining was present at the western fissure, with active surface lava limited to the western portion of the lava lake.

This video taken on January 12, 2021, shows the west vent within Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Low fountaining of about 5 m (16 ft) high is visible inside the spatter cone that has formed. The fountain is producing a cascade of lava—about 35 m (115 ft)—down to the lava lake.
 

This video taken on January 11, 2021 shows the surface activity had increased at the western fissure over the past two days, within Halema'uma'u at the summit of Kīlauea. Low fountaining was supplying lava to an open channel that poured into the lava lake. 
 

This video shows activity at the western fissure, in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea on January 8, 2021. The lava stream entering the lake appeared weaker than several days ago, when a dome fountain was active.
 

This video shows crustal foundering and resurfacing at the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea on January 8, 2021. Recently this foundering process has been common in the eastern portion of the lake. The video is shown at 20x speed.

A helicopter overflight at approximately 10:30 a.m. HST provided views of the ongoing eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater. Video is shown at 3 x speed. HVO geologists noted that the dome fountain, which had been persistent near the base of the west vent area, had subsided and was no longer present. Lava continues to enter the lake at the base of the west vents.

Visual photographs taken during a helicopter overflight of Halema'uma'u crater on January 7, 2021 (at Kīlauea Volcano) are used to create a 3D model of the crater. This technique is called structure-from-motion photogrammetry and uses the multiple perspectives captured in dozens of photos to reconstruct the crater shape on a computer.