Tephra blanket from Kīlauea summit fountaining episodes

An orange five-gallon plastic bucket, secured by heavy weights, was one of several used to collect tephra from the ongoing lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea. The episode 13 fountaining, however, cast large bombs (some of them molten) in this particular area, battering the ground. Although aluminum tubs will be used in this area in the future, the damaged bucket did collect a serviceable tephra sample. Analysis of tephra samples will provide information for ongoing eruption hazard assessment. USGS photo taken by M. Patrick.