View of Kīlauea summit eruption gas plume from southeast — April 30

While hiking along the rim of the 2018 collapse area at the summit of Kīlauea, HVO scientists visited a site to the southeast of Halema‘uma‘u known as Akanikōlea—a culturally-significant place that is featured in Hawaiian legends. While the lava lake from the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u is not visible from this vantage point, the gas plume from the eruption is (diffuse blueish plume to the left). The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate, measured on May 2, was 475 t/d. This photo was taken from an area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains closed to the public for safety reasons. The Keanakāko‘i Overlook, just a few hundred meters (yards) to the east, offers a similar view. USGS photo taken by N. Deligne on April 30, 2021.