An aerial thermal image taken on a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory flight

An aerial thermal image taken during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning around 9:30 a.m. HST. The western fissure vents remain active and continue to produce small lava streams that are feeding into the lava lake (upper left). The northern fissure has shut down, and field crews report that the lava lake is slowly draining at the northern fissure site (upper right). A cooled ledge of lava, like a ring on a bathtub, surrounds the perimeter of the lava lake as it slowly drains (cooler color surrounding the lava lake). This afternoon, the lake level was reported to have drained by up to several meters (yards). USGS thermal image by M. Patrick.