Images

A closer look at the lava lake and overflows on the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The outline of the Overlook crater, and the active lake, is easier to distinguish in this view.

Over the past week, the summit lava lake in the Overlook crater rose and spilled out onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, creating the dark flows in the south part of Halema‘uma‘u (left side of crater from this direction).

From this angle, the extent of the lava lake within the Overlook crater is much easier to distinguish from the surrounding overflows. The closed Halema‘uma‘u parking lot is in the right side of the photograph.

A sequence of still images taken from the webcam positioned at the closed Halema‘uma‘u overlook, spanning about six seconds. The collapse originated from a portion of the wall directly below the webcam, but just out of view. Large pieces of molten spatter can be seen flying through the air and being deposited on the crater walls below the camera.

Following several episodes of lava overflowing onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, the lava lake level remains high, and close to the rim of the Overlook crater. This photograph was taken from the southern rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, where a time-lapse camera keeps watch on the lava lake and overflow activity.

Underwater image of a wave breaking over a coral reef on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This image shows how the high hydrodynamic roughness of live, healthy corals causes friction that induces breaking of waves over coral reefs, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding and island overwash.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

This textbook example of a perched lava lake that formed within the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater in May 2011 shows what could happen with Kīlauea's current summit lava lake if overflows of the Overlook crater vent continue.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

Aerial photograph of Kwajalein Atoll showing its low-lying islands and coral reefs.

One of several webcams and time-lapse camera stations located on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater to record activity of the summit lava lake (in view below camera). HVO is located on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera in upper left (note square-looking tower), located about 2 km (1.2 mi) from this camera site.

Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava lake, which was about 12 m (40 ft) below the vent rim on April 25 (left), overflowed the vent rim for the first time at about 9:40 p.m., HST, on April 28. As of noon on April 29 (right), the lava lake had overflowed the vent rim several more times. These Webcam images capture the summit vent before and after the overflows.

Photo from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u showing the lava lake in the completely filled Overlook crater. Repeated overflows are beginning to construct levees around the lake, such that the level of the lake is now perched about 2 m (7 ft) above the original floor of Halema‘uma‘u.

An early morning view of the lava lake with a recent overflow onto the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

Identical to photo at left, but with labels. The dashed white line indicates the lava lake rim.

Photo of the overflowing lava lake taken from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u.

Rocks from the crater wall fell into the summit lava lake and generated an explosion that threw large fragments of molten lava onto the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, 85 m (280 ft) above the lake. Gas in the lava lake was rapidly released during the 10:20 am explosive event, causing the lava lake surface to drop a few meters (yards) after the explosion.

A rockfall from the wall of Halema‘uma‘u Crater impacted the lava lake around 10:20 am, triggering an explosion of spatter and smaller particles. HVO geologists working on the far side of the crater captured the initial moments of the plume rising. The explosion deposited a large amount of spatter around the closed Halema‘uma‘u visitor overlook.