Images

This Hawai‘i County Fire Department aerial image shows Kapoho Crater with the most active branch of the fissure 8 lava channel now to the west (right) of the cone and feeding a robust ocean entry.

Aerial view of Isaac Hale Beach Park. The westernmost ocean entry is overriding lava flows that entered the area last week.

An aerial view of Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken on August 1.

Then and now. It has proven difficult to exactly match past and present views of Kīlauea's summit to show the dramatic changes in the volcanic landscape, but here's our latest attempt. At left is a photo taken on November 28, 2008, with a distinct gas plume rising from the vent that had opened within Halema‘uma‘u about eight months earlier.

Rockfalls occur regularly around the Kīlauea Caldera during summit collapse events. This photograph shows rocks falling from the cliffs below Uēkahuna Bluff just after the 11:55 a.m. collapse today.

Aerial view toward the southwest of the ‘a‘ā lava flows along the coast. Plumes of laze along the broad ocean entry flow front are near the former Ahalanui Beach Park.

In this aerial view looking to the north, a robust ocean entry plume can be seen rising from just offshore of Ahalanui Beach Park, which was inundated with lava yesterday.

During an overflight this morning, the Hawaii County Fire Department captured this image looking east toward Kapoho Crater.

Taken from the July 31 morning overflight, this photo shows the west side of the fissure 8 lava channel with Kapoho Crater in the foreground. Fissure 8 and its gas plume are visible in the distance.

This aerial view of Kīlauea's summit (taken early yesterday morning, looking south) shows some well-known features and some that are now more obvious as a result of ongoing collapse of Halema‘uma‘u and parts of the summit caldera floor.

View from Bryson's quarry around 11:45 p.m. HST last night looking uprift past Halekamahina (an older ash cone) to fissure 8, which is creating the glow behind the cone.

Fissure 8 and a full lava channel as seen during HVO's early morning overflight. The visible road is Nohea Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision.

Aerial view of Kapoho Crater looking toward the south-southeast. Part of the lava channelbecame blocked just upstream of Kapoho Crater yesterday, diverting flows to the west and then south around the crater (center right). Lava exiting a crusted section of the channel continued flowing in the channel pathway (lower center to left).

During HVO's morning overflight today, the dramatic difference in landscapes on the northern and southern sides of the fissure 8 lava channel was readily apparent.

Small, ash-poor plume associated with the summit collapse explosion event at 9:20 a.m. HST. The pinkish gray plume can be seen on left side of image near the ground.

This photograph taken during this morning's overflight shows heavy, localized rain at fissure 8 in Leilani Estates.

The lower section of the fissure 8 lava channel appears to be almost completely crusted over, and the lava level in the channel was lower during this morning's overflight.

Fissure 8 and Leilani Estates viewed from the south. Houses in the foreground are located in the southern portion of Leilani Estates.

Lava entering the ocean as seen through steam and rain early this morning.

Southern end of the active fissure 8 flow margin north of the Analannui Park, known as the warm ponds. The flow margin is estimated to be about 500 m (0.3 mi) from the park.

Braided section of the lava channel located "downstream" between about 3.5 to 6 km (2.2 to 3.7 mi) from fissure 8 (upper right). The width of the two channels in the middle center is about 325 m (1,065 ft). View is toward the southwest.