A Valentine's Day view of Kīlauea's summit lava lake

Today, Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava lake level was 21 m (69 ft) below the vent rim. A long stretch of active spattering was visible along the east lake margin from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, an area that remains closed to the public due to ongoing hazards. The usual spatter source to the southeast was small by comparison. In the afternoon light, the dark lava flows on either side of the vent rim were quite visible. These flows spilled onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater in April-May 2015, and again in October 2016, when the lava lake level briefly rose above the vent rim several times.