View of Halema‘uma‘u lava lake from the northwest, February 12, 2021

On Friday, February 12, HVO scientists hiked along the rim of Halema‘uma‘u to capture photos of the lava lake from different vantage points. In this photo from the northwest rim, the active western fissure is tucked into the lower-right corner of the crater. The actively circulating western portion of the lava lake (lower-right) and the stagnant eastern portion (upper-left), are separated by a line of cracks running north-south across the center of the lake. USGS photo taken by M. Zoeller.