During an overflight of Kīlauea's summit on December 18, HVO geologists cap

During an overflight of Kīlauea's summit on December 18, HVO geologists captured this image of Kīlauea Iki crater and Pu‘u Pua‘i cone, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The view is looking northwest from above the Byron Ledge area. Prior to the 1959 eruption of Kīlauea Iki, the crater was much deeper. The 1959 eruption filled the crater with more than 120 m (440 ft). During the eruption, the highest lava fountains ever observed in Hawaii (up to 580 m, or 1900 ft), which created the Pu‘u Pua‘i cinder cone (in the lower right corner of the image), were measured. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.