Steaming vent of Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea — May 18, 2022

The vent within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, was degassing during a field observation visit on the morning of May 18, 2022. The vent is 56 feet tall (17 meters) and has a small puka (hole) visible with bright red glowing lava within on the right side of the photograph. Throughout the eruption, the cone has gone through several cycles of growth and collapse. The growth is driven by successive accumulation of spatter and lava flows (like the silvery smooth ones on the right side of the picture) whereas the collapses are driven by failures along weaknesses in the structure, like the large cracks visible on the cone in this photo. USGS photograph by L. Gallant.