Images

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of March 16 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as of March 30 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray. The yellow line is the trace of the active lava tube (dashed where uncertain).

The episode 61g flow continues to enter the ocean at the Kamokuna ocean entry (center), and was producing a robust plume. The western Kamokuna delta, which was abandoned in late September 2016, is visible to the left of the entry.

A close-up view of the Kamokuna ocean entry. A tiny delta has been building, but is not clearly visible through the thick plume. One spot of incandescence can be seen through a break in the plume (center) just above sea level. Floating, steaming blocks were also seen in the water just off the ocean entry (lower middle-right).

Interior of a water tunnel though ash layers in the Ka'ū district. Water collects near the tunnel entrance and is transported by PVC pipe for agricultural use. USGS Photo.

On March 21, 2017, the sediment trap from this instrument package (deployed the previous October into Monterey Canyon) is gone and the mounting frame is mangled, having been exposed to several significant turbidity currents in one deployment. 

Scientists deploy a Chirp seismic instrument from the beach. Seismic data provide view of sub-seafloor geology, which records depositional and erosional events and reveals geologic controls on sediment supply.

This 3D model of the lava lake at Kīlauea's summit was constructed from a series of thermal images acquired during an overflight on Thursday, March 16. For scale, the lava lake is about 250 meters (820 ft) across. The lake is within the Overlook crater, which is within Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of February 24 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as of March 16 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray. The yellow line is the trace of the active lava tube (dashed where uncertain).

Sunset view of the Kīlauea summit lava lake showing an active area of spattering at the right margin. Jagged openings between cooler crustal plates reveal molten lava. HVO is faintly visible on the Kīlauea Caldera rim at upper left. USGS photo February 13, 2017.

Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō started as a cinder and spatter cone in the 1980s, but over the past 30 years flank vents on the cone have produced stacks of lava flows, creating a broad shield around the cone. This view looks north and shows the shield shape clearly. Mauna Kea Volcano can be seen in the distance.

A lava pond has been present in a small pit in the western portion of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater for nearly two years. Unusually clear views today revealed several areas of spattering, and some crustal foundering.

A closer view of the ocean entry and plumes of hot, discolored water.

A closer view of the lava firehose at the ocean entry. The lava stream here is roughly 1-2 meters wide (3-6 ft), and plunges about 20 m (66 ft) into the water.

Summit inflation over the past day has driven the lava lake to rise slightly. This morning, the surface of the lake was about 23.5 m (77 ft) below the Overlook crater rim. In this photo, spattering was occurring along the southern lake margin in two locations.

A firehose of lava continues to pour into the sea at the Kamokuna ocean entry, sending a plume of steam, hydrochloric acid, and glass particles into the air and drifting downwind. Offshore, lava entering the sea also produces plumes of hot, discolored water.

This is the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's Sediment Prep Lab, where sediment samples and core subsamples are prepared for analyses.

Eruptive activity on March 8 produced large changes in the shape and size of the island. The most active vent for the explosive activity is located under the water in the center of the island, and it was greatly enlarged by the March 8 event. The western coastline has grown, and a new vent was produced on the north shore of the island.

This satellite image was captured on Wednesday, March 8, by the NASA/USGS Landsat 8 satellite. Although this is a false-color image, the color map has been chosen to mimic what the human eye would expect to see. Bright red pixels depict areas of very high temperatures and show active lava. White areas are clouds.

As seen in late January, the interaction of molten lava and cold seawater at the Kamokuna ocean entry produces an explosion, sending hot fragments and steam high into the air. The sea cliff in this image is about 15 meters (50 feet) high. USGS photo.

Eruption cloud, from the east crater of Anatahan Volcano. View from the NE side of the island, looking in a southwesterly direction.

Inundation zones shown on map sheets as numbered colored boxes.