Water ponds in Halema‘uma‘u now joined

During field observations on August 8, HVO scientists noted that all three ponds are now joined, indicating that the water at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly rise. Rangefinder measurements also suggested continued pond deepening. The scientists could also see agitation of the water surface when viewing the pond through image-stabilized binoculars, visible in this photo as white spots on the pond (see close-up image below). USGS photo by D. Swanson, 08-08-2019.