Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater - September 29, 2021

Tephra from the recent eruption within Halema'uma'u, at Kīlauea summit, is accumulating downwind of the active vents. Tephra is a term that describes products of an eruption that travel through the air before being deposited. Tephra products include cinder, pumice, Pele’s Hair and Pele’s tears, which form during lava fountaining, and are light weight and can be wafted downwind with the plume.  This photo shows a piece of tephra, approximately 10 cm (4 inches) long that was deposited southwest of the crater. USGS image by K. Lynn.