Images

A telephoto view of the northern vent fountain within Halema‘uma‘u crater. The steep septum separating the north and south fountains was under constant barrage today by molten lava falling from the fountains, with the steep walls on the inside of the cones in a state of constant dripping and flowing back into crater. USGS photo by M.

A USGS geologist uses a handheld laser rangefinder to measure eruption features during the 13^th episode of the Kīlauea summit eruption. USGS photo taken on March 11 from the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u by M. Patrick.

This presentation was prepared for the AGU 2024-2025 Distinguished Lecture Series. This, and other lectures, provide a high-level synthesis of different topics for general science audiences.

This presentation discusses the challenge of volcano monitoring, eruption forecasting, and protecting vulnerable populations. 

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses a laser rangefinder to collect fountain height measurements from the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. Fountain heights reached approximately 30–35 m (100–115 ft) on the morning of December 30, 2024.

Photo of the lava fountains and flows within the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater just before dawn on December 30, 2024. The lava fountains have started to build scoria cones around themselves with the fountains consistently reaching to 30 m (100 ft) high. These fountains are feeding lava flows that have covered the western quarter of the crater floor.

A close-up photo taken just before dawn of the lava fountains in the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit, on December 30, 2024. These lava fountains are consistently reaching 30 m (100 ft) high and building a spatter cone that is about 20 m (65 ft) high, 95 m (310 ft) long, and 60 m (200 ft) wide. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey geologist D.

Photo of the lava flows in the western part of Halema‘uma‘u crater just before dawn on December 30, 2024. These lava flows are reaching about 2,300 ft (or 700 m) from their source at the lava fountains and covering the pre-existing topography. The flows currently cover about a quarter of the western part of the crater floor. Photo by U.S.

Aerial view looking to the southwest of the active and inactive parts of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The dark black lava in the foreground covered most of the crater floor on the first day of the eruption, starting around 2:20 a.m. on December 23, 2024.

An Aerial view of two eruptive cones in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit on the morning of December 30, 2024. The fissure fountains reached heights of approximately 30 meters (100 ft) and lava flows continue to cover a portion of the crater floor. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Aerial view looking to the southwest of the active eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater on December 30, 2024. The lava fountains are reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) high and feeding the incandescent lava in the foreground. The current activity is concentrated in the western quarter of the crater floor. Photo by U.S. Geological Survey geologist D. Downs.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a south-looking telephoto overhead view of the lava fountains within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a southwest-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. The lava fountains are visible in the center of the image, in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u.

This aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a southwest-looking overview of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater.

During a helicopter overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists were provided a low-level view of the eruptive vents in the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

This oblique aerial photo was captured during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, providing a southwest-looking view of the active fountains of the ongoing eruption within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

This annotated image shows the lava flows and tephra deposits of the southwest portion of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera). The photo was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, with a view to the east.

Volcanoes tend to have seismicity that waxes and wanes over time. That’s considered normal and not necessarily a cause for concern. Let’s check on Mount Adams to see what USGS scientists are doing to learn more about its recent earthquake activity and what it could mean for this Cascade Range volcano.

A USGS scientist aims the viewfinder of an infrared spectrometer to measure the chemistry of volcanic gas on the last day of the Nāpau eruption, September 20, 2024. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.

Shaded relief location map for the East Gallatin-Reese Creek fault system (EGRCFS) in northwest Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The location of the EGRCFS is shown as mapped in the U.S.

USGS scientist Peter Kelly is recognized for his work to design, optimize, and commercialize Multi-GAS technology for monitoring of geothermal and volcanic gas emanations. Notably, he spent almost a decade designing, engineering, and perfecting a system of geochemical sensors for both portable and semi-permanent remote deployment.

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.