Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Spattering and gas pistoning in the NE cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

Detailed Description

This selection of images shows activity at the northeast spatter cone in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō over the past two weeks. The lava pond was undergoing gas pistoning, a gradual buildup and release of gas in the lava pond that is often associated with spattering and lava level changes. For scale, the lava pond is about 10 m (30 feet) across.