Spatter cone and small lava pond on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's crater floor

A small lava lake, which has been present on the northeast side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's crater floor for nearly a year, has evolved into a tiny pond perched several meters (yards) above the surrounding crater floor, as pictured here. The pond sits near the top of a mound of lava composed of spatter cones and lava pond overflows. Flows from the pond and other nearby spatter cones have inundated the east rim of the crater, which would normally be visible in the background just behind spatter cone complex shown here.