West vent and lava lake islands—October 15, 2021

In this photo taken during a helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater on October 15, lava can be seen fountaining within the western vent cone and flowing down a short spillway into the lava lake. The main island created in the initial stages of the Dec. 2020–May 2021 eruption is in the foreground and continues to rise with the lake surface. The remains of the west vent from the previous eruption can also be seen on the right side of the image. USGS photo by B. Carr.