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The eruption in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit on the Island of Hawai‘i continues, with the west vent erupting lava into the lava lake. Gas emissions and seismic activity at the summit remain elevated. HVO field crews—equipped with specialized safety gear and PPE—monitor the current eruption from within the closed area&nbs
HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand how the eruption is evolving at Kīlauea's summit, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Kīlauea’s summit lava lake, in Halema‘uma‘u, just after sunset on January 8, 2021. This view is to the north, from the south rim of the crater. HVO scientists continue to monitor the eruption within an area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains closed to the public for safety reasons. USGS image by N. Deligne.
Around sunset on Saturday (January 9, 2021), a break in the rain allowed HVO scientists to visit and monitor the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u. The west vent is still actively effusing lava, but outflow into the lava lake is increasingly sluggish, as evidenced by slow-moving crustal plates near the once-vigorous vent outlet. Also, much of the crust in the eastern half of the lake has stagnated completely, likely because the lake level has not changed significantly in the past three days. USGS photo by H. Dietterich.
This video shows activity at the western fissure, in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea on January 8, 2021. The lava stream entering the lake appeared weaker than several days ago, when a dome fountain was active.
This video shows crustal foundering and resurfacing at the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea on January 8, 2021. Recently this foundering process has been common in the eastern portion of the lake. The video is shown at 20x speed.
The arrival of nightfall at Halema‘uma‘u on January 9, 2021, provided a clearer view of ongoing eruptive activity for USGS scientists monitoring the eruption Saturday evening. This photo is focused on areas of active crustal motion in the western half of the lava lake; the eastern half (off to the right) is mostly stagnated and displays significantly less incandescence. The west vent, still actively effusing lava but at a diminishing rate, is visible to the upper left of the lake. USGS photo by H. Dietterich.
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