Roiling Fountains

A telephoto photograph of the roiling 4-7 meter (13-23 ft) lava fountains of the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The spatter cone is nearly circular, with only one outlet letting lava cascade east into the lake. Concentric lava crust rings form around where lava enters the lake from a single source with persistent flux. USGS image by C. Parcheta.