Crater Rim Drive tephra blanket

The section of Crater Rim Drive downwind of the recent fountaining, and in an area closed to the public due to volcanic hazards, has been covered by numerous layers of tephra in the past several months. The tire tracks are centered over the Crater Rim Drive roadway, where USGS scientists access critical volcano monitoring sites. The tip of a shovel touches the original asphalt surface. Here, the tephra deposit is 20 inches (50 cm) thick. A blue haze from the volcanic gas plume is visible in the background. USGS photo by M. Patrick.