Images

USGS scientist David Ponce measuring gravity using a gravimeter along the Hayward-Rodgers Creek fault zone just north of San Pablo Bay, California.

C1 and C3 are granitic crystal-melt mush (partially crystallized magma) columns that fed the most recent Mono Craters eruptions. The connection from C1 to South Coulée (SC) is older and colder than the connection from C3 to North Coulée (NC) and Panum Crater (PC), which carries hydrothermal fluid to the surface.

A time-lapse camera located in HVO's observation tower captured these interesting images of Halema‘uma‘u during an intense lightning storm at Kīlauea's summit on October 16. Image captured at 11:36 PM.

Image captured at 11:43 PM.

A hornito was active in the upper portion of the June 27th flow, with hissing and jetting sounds coming from a small opening at the top. The hornito here was about 2.5 m (8 feet) tall. A hornito is formed by gas and lava forced through a small opening in the roof of a lava tube.

A small channel feeds a lobe of pāhoehoe lava on the eastern margin of the June 27th flow. Scattered breakouts like these were active on the flow field today, with the farthest active lava about 6.4 km (4 miles) from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the flow on September 30 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of October 23 (based on satellite imagery and ground mapping) is shown in red. The yellow lines show the active lava tube system.

This photo looks west towards the upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. The fume-filled crater at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is in the foreground, and the vent for the June 27th lava flow is just out of view of the lower right corner of the photo. Mauna Loa is visible in the upper right.

An HVO geologist collects a sample of active lava for chemical analysis. The lava is quenched with water in the metal bucket.

This small-scale map shows Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow in relation to the eastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i. The area of the flow on September 30 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of October 23 is shown in red. The yellow lines show the active lava tube system.

The oxygen-regulated benthic flux chamber measures fluxes of water and chemical species across the sediment water interface. It is shown here deployed in the subtidal discharge zone in Indian River Bay, DE, USA

Volcano Disaster Assistance Program staff members share skills, experience, and resources with the USGS VHP, a cooperation that supports the mission of both programs.

Debris flow in channel near Butte Camp, Mount St. Helens, Washington.

Kalama Springs, Washington.

Path of small debris flows originating above Butte Camp, Mount St. Helens, Washington.

To construct a geologic map of this area, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists initially used lava flow type, rock colors, and relative stratigraphic positions to distinguish between individual lava flows, and then relied on laboratory analyses and age-dates of the flows to refine their field mapping. USGS photo.

An HVO field geologist must make his way through dense forest to map the full extent of an old Mauna Loa lava flow. USGS photo.

Summit deflation over the past day was associated with the summit lava lake level slowly dropping. When this happens, collapses commonly occur within the Overlook crater. Solidified lava, attached to the Overlook crater walls, collapsed into the lake on several occasions today, triggering small dust plumes and agitation of the lake surface.

This satellite image was captured on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 by the 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.

A diver peeks from behind a badly bleached coral in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in October 2015. Coral bleaching events caused by abnormally warm ocean temperatures continue to regularly claim the lives of coral populations around the globe. 

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory volunteer demonstrates "Drop! Cover! Hold on!"—actions that can reduce injuries or prevent death during an earthquake.