Dec. 24 7:45 a.m. Kīlauea summit eruption

HVO field crews continue to monitor Kīlauea's summit eruption. As of just after 7 a.m. HST this morning (Dec. 24), HVO field crews noted that the Kīlauea summit lava lake surface is now 452 m (1483 ft) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake has filled 169 m (554 ft) of the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater. This compares to a measurement aroun 8 a.m. HST on Dec 23, when the lake surface was 464 m (1522 ft) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake rose 12 m (39 ft) in just under 24 hours. Fountaining continues at two locations, more vigorously at northern (eastern) vent and intermittent at western vent; both vents continue to feed the growing lava lake. USGS photo by F. Trusdell.