Halema‘uma‘u lava lake depth compared to Empire State Building

Beginning on December 20, 2020, fissure vents opened in the Halema‘uma‘u crater. The former water lake quickly boiled away and, fed by two active fissures, the new lava lake is rising. How high is the lava in the approximately 54 acre lake? If the Empire State Building, in New York City, was placed at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater, we estimate the lava lake level could already be as high as the 44^th floor! USGS graphic by Joe Bard.