Kīlauea's summit water lake comparison - September 23, 2020

HVO geologists made observations of Kīlauea's summit water lake from the east rim of Halema‘uma‘u. This view point is on the large downdropped block that subsided during the 2018 collapse events. From this spot, a view of the entire lake is possible, providing a new perspective on the growth of the lake. The last visit to this spot was on December 18, 2019, when the lake had a surface area of 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres). The lake has risen approximately 25 m (82 feet) since that time, and now has a surface area of 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres). The yellow circle in the left photo shows the normal observation site used by HVO geologists on the west caldera rim. Steaming is more apparent in the September 23, 2020, image due to the humid and rainy conditions on that day. USGS photos by K. Mulliken and M. Patrick.