Photo and Video Chronology —September 18, 2024, Eruption in Nāpau Crater, Kīlauea

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory September 18, 2024

Kīlauea volcano continues to erupt in Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight this morning, geologists observed that the activity had greatly decreased.

Color photograph of eruption — During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of September 18, geologists observed only very weak activity at Kīlauea's middle East Rift Zone eruption site in Nāpau Crater. One vent was active with weak low fountaining in a tiny lava pond and much of the flow field was no longer active, though there was a residual ooze out on a margin of the flow field. A new small pad of lava had formed at west end of the fissure system since the overflight yesterday morning, but it was inactive by the overflight this morning. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of red molten lava glowing between solidified black crust

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Although most of the lava flow field within Nāpau Crater was inactive this morning, lava was actively oozing out of a marginal area. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Color photograph of lava spatter in the air

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From the ground in Nāpau Crater, spattering lava was visible above the newly formed lava flows. This eruption is taking place on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Color photograph of small erupting lava pond — Weak low fountaining in a tiny lava pond within Nāpau Crater was visible during a morning Hawaiian Volcano Observatory eruption monitoring overflight on September 18, 2024. The eruptive activity has greatly decreased compared to yesterday. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Color photograph of ground surface emitting steam and volcanic gas — Steam and volcanic gas continue to be emitted from the first fissures that erupted the night of September 15 on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, west of Nāpau Crater. This photo, taken during morning monitoring overflight, looks southeast. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

Color map showing the temperature of the ground surface in an area erupting lava — A helicopter overflight on September 18, 2024, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the middle East Rift Zone eruption site on Kīlauea. The eruptive activity continues with a single low fountain active within Nāpau Crater and much of the flow field on the crater floor stagnant. 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.

Color map of lava flows and fissure vents — This reference map depicts fissures and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption as of the end of the day on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Areas in bright red represent new lava flows since the area was last mapped during the morning of September 17, when activity was focused within Nāpau Crater. Today's lava flow expansion also affected areas just west of the crater, where a new, rejuvenated phase of the eruption began in the late afternoon. In total, the fissure system has stretched over 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) of the East Rift Zone, with the lava flows now covering 26 hectares (64 acres).