UAS photo of main island in Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, February 9, 2021

This Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo from Tuesday, February 9, shows the main island in the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake. The lake surface on the eastern (lower-center) side of the island has been stagnant and crusted over recently. The western fissure that has been feeding the lava lake is visibly degassing in the background. For scale, the island stretches approximately 285 m (935 ft) from end-to-end. 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.