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Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.

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Lava flow on a roadway
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Flow
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Flow
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Flow

Lava from fissure 15 also covered the Pohiki water line.

Aerial view of fissures
Kīlauea Volcano — Leilani Estates Fissure System
Kīlauea Volcano — Leilani Estates Fissure System
Kīlauea Volcano — Leilani Estates Fissure System

View of the fissure system in Leilani Estates looking southwest (uprift). Fissure 17 is the lava fountain at bottom of photo, estimated to be about 50 m (164 ft) high with occasional bursts to about 100 m high (328 ft).

View of the fissure system in Leilani Estates looking southwest (uprift). Fissure 17 is the lava fountain at bottom of photo, estimated to be about 50 m (164 ft) high with occasional bursts to about 100 m high (328 ft).

Aerial view from a helicopter
Kīlauea Volcano — Overlight of Pohoiki Road
Kīlauea Volcano — Overlight of Pohoiki Road
Kīlauea Volcano — Overlight of Pohoiki Road

This image, captured during an HVO overflight around noon today, shows a lava flowthat crossed Pohoiki Road earlier.

This image, captured during an HVO overflight around noon today, shows a lava flowthat crossed Pohoiki Road earlier.

Aerial view of lava spattering
Kīlauea Volcano — Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano — Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano — Spattering

Closer view of fissure 17 (middle photo) and fissure 18 (left side photo) during this morning's overflight of the area. View is toward the south.

Closer view of fissure 17 (middle photo) and fissure 18 (left side photo) during this morning's overflight of the area. View is toward the south.

Mount St. Helens erupted 38 years ago, May 18, 1980
Mount St. Helens erupted 38 years ago, May 18, 1980
Mount St. Helens erupted 38 years ago, May 18, 1980
Mount St. Helens erupted 38 years ago, May 18, 1980

Mount St. Helens erupted 38 years ago, May 18, 1980 

Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea Volcano's lo...
Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea's LERZ, take...
Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea's LERZ, take...
Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea's LERZ, take...

Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone, taken around 1:00 AM HST, on May 18, 2018.

Telephoto view of spattering at Fissure 17, in Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone, taken around 1:00 AM HST, on May 18, 2018.

Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms

Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms

Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms

Aerial view of a fissure with lava coming out
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano

At about 07:00 a.m. HST, Fissure 17 as shown from the air. The HVO field crew reported that the spattering height and intensity at Fissure 17 seemed to have intensified slightly from yesterday, but the length of active spattering in the fissure is shorter.

At about 07:00 a.m. HST, Fissure 17 as shown from the air. The HVO field crew reported that the spattering height and intensity at Fissure 17 seemed to have intensified slightly from yesterday, but the length of active spattering in the fissure is shorter.

Aerial view looking at a roadway with major cracks across it.
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack

Aerial view of ground cracks on Pohoiki Road during an overflight of the eruptive fissurearea at about 7 a.m. HST. Cracks continued to open and widen, some with horizontal and vertical offsets, in the area during the past 24 hours.

Aerial view of ground cracks on Pohoiki Road during an overflight of the eruptive fissurearea at about 7 a.m. HST. Cracks continued to open and widen, some with horizontal and vertical offsets, in the area during the past 24 hours.

Aerial view of a fissure with oozing lava coming from it.
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava

The Fissure 17 flow front has slowed substantially with only small amounts of pasty "toothpaste" lava oozing out from the flow front. However lava continues to be erupted from the active fissure.

The Fissure 17 flow front has slowed substantially with only small amounts of pasty "toothpaste" lava oozing out from the flow front. However lava continues to be erupted from the active fissure.

Person standing next to large cracks in the road
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano

HVO geologist next to cracks on Nohea Street in Leilani Estates this morning. These cracks expanded significantly in the past day. Note the vertical offset across the cracks.

HVO geologist next to cracks on Nohea Street in Leilani Estates this morning. These cracks expanded significantly in the past day. Note the vertical offset across the cracks.

overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw

Fissure 17 as seen from the air on Monday, May 17, around 7:00 a.m. HST, when the overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days. Twenty fissures have erupted in the lower Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i as of May 17, and additional fissures could still open as this eruption on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone continues.

Fissure 17 as seen from the air on Monday, May 17, around 7:00 a.m. HST, when the overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days. Twenty fissures have erupted in the lower Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i as of May 17, and additional fissures could still open as this eruption on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone continues.

Color radar image
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u

Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.

Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.

water filtration plant
water filtration plant
water filtration plant
water filtration plant

water filtration plant in contra costa county, california

water filtration plant in contra costa county, california

Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor...
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a....
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m

Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Steam from a fissure
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20

Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.

Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.

lava spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lava Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lava Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lava Spattering

Lava spattering area from an area between fissures 16 and 20 photographed at 8:20 a.m. today. 

Plumes in the distance
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes

View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.

View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.

Rocks from a volcanic crater laying in the middle of the ground surrounded by ash.
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Photo of a met station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, USGS
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

Image of a Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USGS - New Mexico Water Science Center (NMWSC)

Image of a Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USGS - New Mexico Water Science Center (NMWSC)

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