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Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - June 18, 2018

By Kīlauea June 18, 2018

Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone

 

Aerial view of lava channels
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Fissure 8 lava flows in an open channel all the way to the ocean. Kapoho Crater is the vegetated hill on the right side of the photograph. Ocean entry plume seen in the distance.
Aerial image of lava flow from a fissure
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Fissure 8 cone and channelized lava flow.
Aerial view of fissure 6
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Fissure 6 (photo center) showed signs of activity overnight, producing small amounts of spatter and feeding short lava flows. Fissure 6 is located about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) downrift from Fissure 8.

 Seismic event generates weak plume captured by Halemaʻumaʻu webcam on June 18, 2018.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
On June 18, 2018, at 6:13 a.m. HTS, a seismic event occurred at Halema‘uma‘u that produced a relatively ash-poor gas plume that rose about 500 m (1,640 ft) above the crater. The activity was captured by the Halema‘uma‘u Wide Angle webcam located in the observation tower of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The plume dissipated quickly.

Helicopter overflight of the Halema‘uma‘u crater 

Helicopter overflight of the Halema‘uma‘u crater...
An overflight of Kīlauea's summit on June 18 showed the continued dramatic slumping and collapse of the Halema‘uma‘u crater area. This photo shows the area north-northwest of Halema‘uma‘u near a GPS station, North Pit. This station has subsided about 60 m (197 ft) in the past week.
North side of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater, marked by large crac...
North side of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater, marked by large cracks and large blocks that have slumped into the crater.

 Geologists track fissure activity in the lower East Rift Zone

Geologists track fissure activity in the lower East Rift Zone...
An HVO geologist uses a thermal camera to measure the temperature (about 93 degrees C or 200 degrees F) of a ground crack near fissure 9. In the lower East Rift Zone, a field geologist's daily duties can include monitoring ground cracks for temperature and gas changes, measuring heights of lava fountains and cinder cones, and tracking lava's speed at various locations. Geologists also monitor for channel overflows and collect tephra samples for geochemical analysis. The information is used to understand more about how the fissure complex behaves and informs the USGS' assessment of hazards.

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