Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

the perched lava lake in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

Detailed Description

Aerial view of the perched lava lake in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. Small fluctuations in the lava lake level lead to frequent overflows. These serve to build the levee around the lake even higher, amplifying the perched appearance.