The eruption on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone remained paused on Tuesday, June 4, but Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited the area to take measurements of the previous day's lava flows. Here, a geologist examines part of the lava flow from fissure 2. Note that none of the lava flow is as tall as the geologist; similar to the December 1974 eruption from the same area on Kīlauea, the eruption of June 3 produced extremely thin Pāhoehoe flows. This contrasts with other recent eruptions like that at Pu‘u‘ō‘ō on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone between 1983 and 2018, where Pāhoehoe flows sometimes inflated to tens of meters in thickness. USGS photo by M. Zoeller (HVO). 

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists document the early phases of the eruption southwest of Kīlauea summit on June 3, 2024. On the left, a geologist photographs the activity while a geologist on the right uses the laser rangefinder to measure the length of the fissure and height of the fountains. USGS image by C. Sealing.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited the now inactive fissures that formed on June 3rd on the upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea. Looking through a hand lens, geologists recognize the abundance of olivine ranging from 1-3 mm (about 0.1 inch) in size in the spatter samples. Petrographic and geochemical analyses will reveal the storage history and evolution of this lava. USGS Photo by M. Zoeller.

During the Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption on June 3, fissures 3 and 4—located farther to the southwest than fissures 1 and 1— erupted the larger volumes of lava and continue to exhibit elevated gas emissions. Hazards associated with active or recent lava flows include hot and glassy (sharp) surfaces that can cause serious burns, abrasions, and lacerations upon contact with unprotected or exposed skin; uneven and rough terrain can lead to falls and other injuries; hot temperatures that can cause heat exhaustion or dehydration, or in heavy rain can produce steamy ground-fog that can be acidic, severely limiting visibility and sometimes causing difficulty breathing.  USGS photo by A.R. Nalesnik.

In addition to elevated volcanic gas emissions, other significant hazards also remain around the recent eruption site on the upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea. Minor to severe ground fractures and subsidence features that formed during the June 3 eruption may continue to widen and offset, may have unstable overhanging edges, and should be avoided. Most cracks that formed during the June 3 Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption are several inches (2 to 5 centimeters) wide with some extending to up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide. In this photo, a crack extends towards Pu‘ukoa‘e in the background. USGS photo by A.R. Nalesnik.Sources/Usag

During an overflight at approximately 8:15 a.m. HST on June 6, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists observed the extensive crack features on either side of the now inactive fissures from the June 3 Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption. Cracks range in length and are parallel to the fissure system. USGS photo by A.R. Nalesnik. 

Aerial overview of fissures 3 and 4 of the now paused Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone eruption that began on June 3, 2024. During an overflight at approximately 8:15 a.m. HST on June 6, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists observed persistent gas emissions and no active lava. USGS Image by A.R. Nalesnik.

During the June 3, 2024, Southwest Rift Zone eruption, Fissures 1 and 2 (pictured here) had low erupted volumes compared to fissures 3 and 4. Fissures 1 and 2 were located closer to Kalupele (Kīlauea summit caldera), whereas fissures 3 and 4 are on the southwest section of the fissure system. USGS Image by A.R. Nalesnik.

View to the southwest of Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone eruption vents emitting volcanic gas, as seen from the Red Hill Cabin on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone midday on June 4, 2024. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

The new seismometer at station KOSM on the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea being buried in the ground, with permission from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. This photo was taken before the seismometer was totally buried. Seismometers are buried beneath the ground surface to protect them from noise and other disturbances at the surface, which promotes a clearer signal. USGS image by M. Warren. 

At the KOSM GPS located station on the Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea, HVO field engineers installed a new seismic sensor, with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS image by M. Warren on June 6, 2024.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers visited the KOSM GPS station on June 6, 2024, to install a new seismic sensor, with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The KOSM station is located southwest of the now inactive fissure 4 of the Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea (the southwest-most fissure). USGS image by A.R. Nalesnik.

The recent Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea produced small volumes of lava and spatter. When very fluid lava lands on the ground, it may flatten upon impact and produce spatter known as 'pancake bombs.' When lava is stretched even further when cooling, thin strands of glass (Pele's hair) are created. The spatter pictured here is approximately 10 inches (25 centimeters) across. USGS image by A.R. Nalesnik.

The recent Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea produced small volumes of lava, and fountains left volcanic spatter on top of and beyond the extent of the newly erupted flows. The collected pieces of spatter range in size up to 4 inches (1 to 10 centimeters). USGS image by A.R. Nalesnik.

The recent Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea produced small volumes of lava, and fountains left volcanic spatter on top of and beyond the extent of the newly erupted flows. The collected pieces of spatter range in size up to 4 inches (1 to 10 centimeters). USGS image by A.R. Nalesnik.