Cycles of filling and draining within Halema`uma`u

movie shows lava pond activity within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity captured with the low-light camera situated at the Halema`uma`u Overlook. The entire night of Oct 1-2, 2009, is shown here in 26 seconds, so the speed of the video is increased considerably. You can see many cycles of filling and draining, with each cycle lasting about two hours. There is also alternating vigor at two distinct spattering sources (one on the right side of the image, and a second near the center of the image). The process controlling filling and draining cycles is not fully understood, but is thought to be related to variations in gas content in the conduit. Images from this camera can be viewed in real-time by clicking on the link for "webcams" at the top of this page and choosing the Halema`uma`u Overlook camera.