Images

Animated GIF of lava erupting from a fissure at Kīlauea Volcano at night time on December 27, 2020. 

An animated GIF of lava falling at the Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaii in 2020 pulled from the Evening Views of the eruption in Halema'uma'u.

The eruption continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit. HVO field crews observing the activity overnight noted that at approximately 2:40 a.m. HST December 26, 2020, activity at west vent in the wall of Halema‘uma‘u rejuvenated: the west vent has became more active than the northern vent.

As of about 2:40 a.m. HST on December 26, 2020, activity at the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater wall at Kīlauea's summit has increased. This photo, taken at approximately 5:15 a.m. HST shows fountaining at the west vent, and lava pouring from the north end of the fissure into the growing lava lake.

A helicopter overflight yesterday (Dec. 26, 2020) at approximately 9:30 AM HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of the new eruption within Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. This preliminary thermal map shows that the new lava lake is 790 m (864 yd) E-W axis and 520 m (569 yd) in N-S axis.

Continuous Laser Rangefinder gauge on crater rim measuring Halema’uma’u lava lake, Kīlauea summit, 12/26/2020.  Exploded drawing of instrument optical enclosure upper right.  USGS photo and drawing by F. Younger. 

An early December 25, 2020, morning view of the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit. Overnight fountaining continued to feed the rising lava lake, which slowly fills Halema‘uma‘u. This photo, taken at approximately 2:30 a.m.

HVO field crews measured Kīlauea's summit lava lake this morning (Dec. 25) around 7:30 a.m. HST. The lake surface is now 445 m (1460 ft) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake has filled 176 m (577 ft) of the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Lava lake level measurements collected during a field visit of Kīlauea Volcano's summit around 2:15 p.m. HST on December 25, 2020, were used to create a preliminary lava lake depth map. When compared to pre-eruption topographic models, it shows that the bottom of Halema'uma'u crater has been filled by almost 176 m (578 ft) of lava. Map by H.

On the evening of December 25, 2020, the eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea's summit continued. Throughout the day, fountaining at two vents continued to feed the rising lava lake which slowly fills Halema‘uma‘u. This photo, taken at approximately 6 p.m.

Kīlauea summit KW webam image taken on December 24, 2020, just after 6:30 a.m. HST. The water lake has been replaced by a lava lake; fissures in the wall of Halemaʻumaʻu feed a lava lake that continues to fill the crater.

Beginning on December 20, 2020, fissure vents opened in the Halema‘uma‘u crater. The former water lake quickly boiled away and, fed by two active fissures, the new lava lake is rising. How high is the lava in the approximately 54 acre lake?

A helicopter overflight yesterday (Dec. 23, 2020) at approximately ~10:30 AM HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of the new eruption within Halema'uma'u crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. This preliminary thermal map shows that the new lava lake is 715 m (780 yd) E-W axis and 460 m (500 yd) in N-S axis.

Scientists continue to monitor the ongoing eruption in Kīlauea Volcano's summit caldera, Island of Hawai‘i. This photo, from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater and looking north, shows the volcanic gas plume heading west. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

A helicopter overflight yesterday (Dec. 22, 2020) at approximately ~11:30 AM HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected, which was used to map the area of Kīlauea's growing summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater. As of yesterday afternoon, the lake is over 690 m (yd) E-W axis and 410 m (yd) in N-S axis.

Plot showing rise of Kīlauea's summit lava lake since the eruption in Halema‘uma‘u began on December 20 at 9:30 p.m. Since then, laser rangefinder measurements of lava lake surface are made 2–3 times per day. Photos compare the lava lake on the morning of Dec. 21, when it was about 289 ft (87 m) deep, to the evening of Dec. 23 when it was about 511 ft (155 m) deep.

Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight at approximately 11:35 a.m. HST. The plume from the ongoing eruption rises above the Kīlauea Volcano's summit, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Ha‘akulamanu (Sulphur Banks) is visible in the foreground. USGS photo. 

Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight at approximately 11:35 a.m. HST. This photo shows the western, weaker of the two active fissures in Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater. USGS photo. 

Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight at approximately 11:35 a.m. HST. This photo shows the two active fissures in Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing summit eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater. These fissures in the wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater feed a growing lake at its base.

The recent eruption at Kīlauea Volcano's summit, within Halema‘uma‘u crater, has generated a lava lake that is being fed by two fissures. Halema‘uma‘u crater has previously been occupied by a water lake (July 2019 to December 2020) and a lava lake (2008 to 2018).

This comparison shows thermal images taken yesterday and today during USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflights. The main difference in this 24 hour period is the significant rise and infilling of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea summit. This morning, the lake depth was measured at approximately 130 yards. USGS images by M.