Images

A view looking north into Halema‘uma‘u on July 2, 2021. Although eruptive activity has paused at the summit of Kīlauea, HVO geologists still monitor the lava lake and summit area regularly. Lava lake surface depths remain the same over the past few weeks.

At left, a map of select recent volcanoes and volcanic areas in Canada (volcano location data from: Global GIS: volcanoes of the world; volcano basic data. [Shapefile]. American Geological Institute.

Blue-tinged gases are seen above the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater in this image taken from the southwest rim on June 25, 2021, at 12:37 p.m. HST.

A view of Halema‘uma‘u on June 11, 2021, at 12:20 p.m. HST. Although eruptive activity has paused at the Kīlauea summit, HVO geologists still monitor the lava lake and summit area regularly. They make observations to note any physical changes in the landscape or visual changes in gas emissions.

On June 8, 2021, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted a routine helicopter overflight and fieldwork at the summit of Kīlauea. Here, a geophysicist returns to the helicopter after making Global Positioning Systems (GPS) measurements. These surveys measure small changes in the ground surface caused by subsurface magma movement.

A view of the crusted over lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea summit, taken during a helicopter overflight on June 8, 2021. No incandescence (red lava) has been visible on the solidified lava lake surface for over two weeks. Light degassing continues in a few areas around the margin of the lava lake, mainly along the north crater wall (bottom left).

No eruptive activity or major changes were observed during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Kīlauea summit monitoring shift on June 8, 2021. An area near the north wall of Halema‘uma‘u continues to visibly emit gases, though the eruption has paused. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate, measured on June 4, remains slightly elevated at 54 tonnes per day.

Portions of Crater Rim Drive, which was damaged during the 2018 Kīlauea summit collapse, are visible from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u. The lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u and the east wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater are visible in the background. This area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park remains closed to the public due to hazardous conditions.

This close-up Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo of the inactive western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u was captured on Thursday, June 3, 2021, at the summit of Kīlauea. The recent pause in the eruption has allowed the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) UAS pilots to safely photograph the eruptive features from new angles.

This Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo, looking straight down into the inactive western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea, was captured on Thursday, June 3, 2021. One of the objectives of the UAS mission was to get a close-up look into the fissure to see if any incandescent lava was still visible.

During a Kīlauea summit monitoring field shift on the evening of June 2, HVO geologists observed no eruptive activity or any major changes at the Halema‘uma‘u crater lava lake. No incandescence was visible anywhere on the lake surface or around the vents.

View looking to the east of the western part of the now inactive lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, taken on May 28th. The west vent area is at the bottom. The glowing vent area in the photo taken in the evening on May 24th is visible in the bottom right, with a white rim at the top of the now inactive vent.

This close-up view of the now-inactive western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea was captured on Thursday, May 27, 2021. HVO scientists did not observe any incandescent lava or other signs of eruptive activity during a one-hour visit to the crater rim.

Kīlauea Volcano is no longer erupting. Lava supply to the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake has ceased and sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased to near pre-eruption background levels.

A wide view of the now inactive lava lake and west vent from the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea summit. The lava lake is entirely crusted over with no red, glowing lava at the surface. Diffuse volcanic gas plumes are still being emitted from the west vent and northern lake margin.

During an eruption monitoring shift on May 25, HVO field crews did not observe any active surface lava or incandescent areas within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Since the eruption began on December 20, 2020, over 40 million cubic meters (over 10 billion gallons) of lava has been erupted.

Though no active surface lava was observed within Halema‘uma‘u on May 25, Kīlauea summit continues to emit volcanic gases. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate, measured on May 23, remains slightly elevated at 100 tonnes per day.

An overview of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea Volcano’s summit, taken on May 25. Kīlauea’s summit collapse in 2018 deepened Halema‘uma‘u crater by over 500 meters (1640 feet).

On the evening of May 24, no active surface lava was observed within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. Small spots of incandescent lava were visible beneath cracks in the lake surface crust (center) and at the west vent (left).

A zoomed-in view of the western vent within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, with a weak glow visible at dusk on Monday, May 24. USGS photo taken by B. Carr from the western rim of Halema‘uma‘u.

A zoomed-in view of the western lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea summit, where two locations of faint incandescence are visible beneath the surface crust (upper right). Eruptive activity has decreased significantly in the past few weeks and the once active lava surface has cooled and crusted over. USGS photo taken by B. Carr at dusk on May 24, 2021.