Images

Mar 7, 2014: Another view of the active flow front, which is burning forest and causing scattered fires. Mauna Loa (left) and Mauna Kea (right, with a snow-covered summit) are on the skyline in this wide photograph. At the very left edge of the photo, the plume from Kīlauea's summit lava lake can be seen.

Mar 7, 2014: The northeast spatter cone has had a small (10 meters, or 30 feet, wide) lava pond, which experiences a cyclic rise and fall of the lava surface called "gas pistoning", driven by the buildup and release of gas in the pond. This photograph captured the moment of gas release, which involved vigorous spattering.

Mar 7, 2014: A close-up of the lava pond in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, with snow-covered Mauna Kea in the distance.

Mar 7, 2014: The lava lake in the Overlook crater, within Halema‘uma‘u Crater, at Kīlauea's summit remains active. Today, winds carried the plume towards the north, providing a clear view of the persistent spattering area in the southeast portion of the lake.

Mar 7, 2014: View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's tan-colored south flank is composed of cinder and spatter erupted in its early years (mid-1980s). Since that time, the cone has partially collapsed and lava flows have erupted on the flanks and within the crater, sometimes spilling over the crater rim.

Mauve indicates areas at risk from lava flows and avalanches of hot rock and gases called pyroclastic flows. Bright red areas that fade to orange and yellow indicate potential routes for lahars (volcanic mudflows). Not shown are areas subject to hazards from volcanic ash.

Mount Adams, Washington simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Three Sisters, Oregon simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Newberry Volcano, Oregon simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Mount Hood, Oregon simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

This map shows areas that could be affected by debris flows, lahars, lava flows, and pyroclastic flows from Mount Rainier if events similar in size to past events occurred today. Because small lahars are more common than large ones, most lahars would be less extensive than the hazard zone shown on the map and a few would be more extensive.

Looking northeast from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, the smoke coming from forest fires at the front of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow can be seen in the distance. In the foreground, thick fume is coming from the Kahauale‘a 2 lava tube, which is supplying lava to the flow front.

View of the flow front of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow, looking west. The flow front has focused into a new lobe that is slowly migrating through thick forest, triggering scattered forest fires. The smoke from these fires seems to be "seeding" the cloud above it. The active flow front was 7.4 km (4.6 miles) northeast of the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

View of the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. This small cone is also the vent area for the Kahauale‘a 2 flow. The cone has recently hosted a small lava pond, but today this seemed to be crusted over. See the time-lapse sequences below to see recent activity at this cone.

Thermal image of the front of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow. Yellow and white areas depict active breakouts, while red areas are cooler, inactive portions of the flow. Over the past week a new lobe has pushed east, between lobes that were active in November and January. The tip of this new lobe was 7.4 km (4.6 miles) northeast of the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

This selection of images shows activity at the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō over the past two weeks. The lava pond was undergoing gas pistoning, a gradual buildup and release of gas in the lava pond that is often associated with spattering and lava level changes. For scale, the lava pond is about 10 m (30 feet) across.

More images of the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, taken with a time-lapse camera.

Preview image for video: shows a time-lapse sequence of activity at the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on February 9-10. Rapid fluctuations in the height of the lava pond are caused by gas pistoning, which is the gradual buildup and release of gas in the pond. Mauna Kea is visible in the upper right portion of the frame.

A wide view of activity from the east rift zone to the summit. In the foreground, Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater emits fume from numerous sources on the crater floor. One of these cones hosts a small lava pond, and can be seen at the far right edge of the photo, marked by a small bit of incandescence.

A closer view of the lava pond at the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. The pond is about 10 m (about 30 ft) wide, and was undergoing cycles of gas pistoning. The lava level would slowly and quietly rise a meter (yard) or more over about five minutes, and vigorous spattering would commence.

pāhoehoe breakouts were scattered at the far end of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow today, as far as 6.9 km (4.3 miles) from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. This photo shows some typical activity on the Kahauale‘a 2 flow, with snow-covered Mauna Kea in the distance.