Kapoho Crater in a frozen lava sea

Kapoho Crater, with its lush green slopes, was surrounded by lava during the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea. Lava flowed all the way around and into the center of the crater, covering the lower part of the cone. Now, the slopes of the crater form a Kīpuka, or area surrounded by younger lava flows. USGS photo by J. Schmith on May 12, 2022.