UAS panorama of western end of Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, March 16, 2021

This panorama of the western end of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake within Kīlauea caldera was stitched together from four Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photographs captured on Tuesday, March 16, 2021. The UAS was hovering just above the main island in the lava lake, approximately 270 m (886 ft) away from the western fissure, visible in the background. The fissure was feeding a new lava flow into the lake at the time, indicated by brighter incandescent spots along the far lake margin.

UAS photos like this help scientists to understand ongoing lava lake processes with their associated hazards, and to detect changes that might indicate shifts in the character of eruptive activity. USGS has special use permits from the National Park Service to conduct official UAS missions as part of HVO's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruptions. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.