Western vents at Halema‘uma‘u crater

Two vents on the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit, remain active. The western fissure opened about an hour and a half (around 4:40 p.m.) after the eruption began on Sept. 29, 2021. The pinkish and black area within the lava lake (near the center of the photo) is the partially submerged west vent that formed during the Dec. 2020–May 2021 eruption. This photo was taken from the southern rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater at 9:05 a.m. HST on Oct. 1, 2021. USGS photo by J.M. Chang.