Images

A helicopter overflight on November 16, 2021, at approximately 8:30 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures.

A helicopter overflight on November 16, 2021, at approximately 8:30 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures.

This thermal image is looking west and shows the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lava on the surface is limited to the west side of the lake, near the west vent. The eastern portion is solidified at the surface, with small ooze-outs often active along the lake perimeter.

The elevation of the surface of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater has now risen slightly above the level of the lowest down-dropped block from the 2018 collapse of Kīlauea summit. Overnight on November 15, 2021, a lava break-out from the edge of the lake allowed lava to flow onto the surface on the block.

HVO geologists observed ongoing eruptive activity with Halema‘uma‘u crater during a helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit on the morning of November 16, 2021. Lava continues to erupt from a vent on the west side (far side in this photo) of Halema‘uma‘u. Low winds allowed the plume to rise vertically above the crater.

Aerial view looking northeast of the eastern half of the Kīlauea summit caldera, taken during a helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit on the morning of November 16, 2021. The current lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u is visible in bottom left, and scarps associated with 2018 Kīlauea summit collapse are prominent in the center of the photo.

During a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit on the morning of November 16, 2021, this aerial view (looking southwest) of the lava flow erupted in September 1982 was captured. The September 1982 lava flow exited Kīlauea summit caldera through a narrow gap, visible near the center of the photo.

A view of the active west vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, on November 15, 2021. A new flow has developed on the south side of the west vent cone (right side of photo), with lava moving from a source near the base of the cone toward the lava lake. Photo taken at 12:55 p.m. HST from the western rim of the crater. USGS photo by J.M.

A telephoto view of the flow on the south side of the west vent cone within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The direction of flow is from the west (bottom) to the east (top). Entrained pieces of solidified crust (black) can be seen in the flow and can be used to determine the direction of flow.

Lava continues to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, and supply the lava lake through a spillway in the spatter cone. On November 12, a small overflow of the perched lava lake levee was visible from the western crater rim. Overflows are an important process for building up perched levees, as they help add height and stability.

A telephoto view of a small overflow to the north of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The flow direction is from east (top) to west (bottom) in the photo, and the height of the overflow is approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet). Black chunks of cooled crust can be seen entrained in the flow. Photo taken at 1:18 p.m. HST on Nov.

View of the west vent cone and outlet channel in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. On the lower left is an overflow (orange), where lava breached a levee and started flowing into a lower area to the west. Photo taken at 1:40 p.m. HST on Nov. 12, 2021, from the western rim. USGS photo by J.M. Chang.

A telephoto view of the overflow north of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The flow direction is from east (top) to west (bottom) in the photo, and the height of the overflow is approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet). Black chunks of cooled crust can be seen entrained in the flow. Photo taken at 1:18 p.m. HST on Nov.

A telephoto view of spatter erupting from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Photo taken at 2:42 p.m. HST on Nov. 12, 2021, from the western rim. USGS photo by J.M. Chang.

This reference map depicts the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on November 11, 2021. One eruptive vent is active within Halema‘uma‘u at this time, along the western edge of the rising lava lake.

A telephoto view of the west vent along the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. On November 9, spatter bursts in the west vent cone triggered sloshing on the surface of the ponded lava. Spatter was thrown about 6–9 m (20–30 ft) above the pond surface and occasionally deposited onto the rim of the cone.

HVO geologists conducted a helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, on the morning of November 9. A gas plume can be seen rising from the west vent along the crater wall (center left). Mauna Loa is visible in the background. USGS photo by B. Carr.

A wide view of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u taken during a helicopter overflight on the morning of November 9, 2021. Lava is once again visible in the spillway of the west vent after a brief drop in activity on Monday, November 8.

A view of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake taken during a helicopter overflight on the morning of November 9, 2021. Lava is visible in the spillway and in the west vent on the far side of the lava lake (center). There are also several small perched overflows in the northwest quadrant of the lake (near center between the vent and main island). USGS photo by L. Gallant.

A telephoto view of the west vent along the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. On November 9, spatter bursts in the west vent cone triggered sloshing on the surface of the ponded lava. Spatter was thrown about 6–9 m (20–30 ft) above the pond surface and occasionally deposited onto the rim of the cone. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

A telephoto view of the western lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Around 10:00 a.m. on November 9, geologists in the field witnessed lava from the western part of the active lava lake (right) flowing onto an area of cooled solidified crust (left).