Images

Volcanic-gas "sniffer" installed at Mammoth Mountain, California measures temperature plus carbon dioxide and other gas concentration from a steaming vent.

Streamflow measurement and water sampling at Paradise Creek are part of the regular measurements taken during hydrothermal monitoring campaigns at Mount Rainier, Washington.

The A-train constellation of earth observing satellites. Included is the recently added OCO-2 mission spacecraft (leading the train at far right), which will focus on improving our understanding of the global carbon cycle by mapping Earth's CO2 distribution approximately once every 2 weeks for the next 2 years or more. Image, courtesy of NASA.

Researchers at the USGS study the long-term change of the beaches and dunes at Fire Island, NY.

Mount Baker in the background of the Tesoro oil refinery in Padilla Bay, Washington. Volcanic hazards from Mount Baker such as ash fall could impact this refinery during a future eruption.

The June 27 breakout has remained active over the past week, emitting short lava flows from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's northeast flank. These flows have stacked upon one another creating a lava shield, which now hosts a lava pond.

Elevated pressure within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone reached a breaking point on June 27 with magma intruding through the cone and erupting from fissures on the northeast flank of the cone. These new vents fed a vigorous, but still relatively short, channelized flow that had reached about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō by 11 a.m.

Map showing the June 27, 2014, breakout and the Kahauale‘a 2 flow in relation to the eastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i as of June 30, 2014. The Kahauale‘a 2 flow (pale orange) is no longer active — it was beheaded when the lava level at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō dropped with the onset of the June 27 breakout.

A view of the lava shield with the thermal camera.

View of the wall above the lava pond in the northeast portion of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. The lava pond surface is in the lower portion of the photograph. The dark hole in the upper part of the photograph is the truncated entrance to the lava tube that had been supplying lava to the Kahauale‘a 2 flow.

A closer view of the entrance to the lava tube that had been supplying the Kahauale‘a 2 flow.

Map showing the June 27, 2014, breakout at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. The area of the new flow as mapped on June 27 is shown in pink, while widening of the flow as June 30 is shown in red.

The June 27 breakout initially produced a channelized lava flow that reached Pu‘u Kahauale‘a (about 1.5 km, or 0.9 miles, from the vent) during the first day, but over the past two days the surface flows have retreated closer to the vent, building a lava shield (visible just above the center of the photograph).

This comparison of the normal photograph with a thermal image shows the extent of the lava shield clearly. The lava shield is visible as the area of high temperatures (hot colors) in the thermal image. Corresponding spots are marked with small arrows for reference.

Another look at the lava shield formed from lava erupting from the June 27 vent. The shield consists of a broad, and relatively flat, top with multiple narrow streams of lava flowing down the sides.

The lava pond in the northeast portion of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. A lava pond has existed here for months, but it enlarged considerably during lava level drop and collapses that occurred with the start of the June 27 breakout. Today, the lava pond was about 35 meters (yards) across, and seven meters (yards) below the rim.

A view from the ground of the lava pond in the northeast portion of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. Note the layering exposed in the wall above the pond surface.

Preview image for video: shows activity in the lava pond in the northeast portion of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. A lava pond has been here for months, but it enlarged considerably during the June 27 breakout as the lava level in the pond dropped.

Until recently, surface flows were active in this portion of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow, triggering small brush fires and creating smoke plumes. With the opening of new vents on June 27, the supply of lava into the Kahauale‘a 2 tube was shut off (see photos of the tube above). There were no active surface flows anywhere on the Kahauale‘a 2 flow today.

Map showing the Kahauale‘a 2 flow (pink) in relation to the eastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i as of June 17, 2014. The most distant active Kahauale‘a 2 lava flows were 7.1 km (4.4 miles) straight-line distance northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

Elevated pressure within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone reached a breaking point this morning with magma intruding through the cone and erupting from fissures on the northeast flank of the cone. These new vents fed a vigorous, but still relatively short, channelized flow that had reached about 1.5 km (0.9 miles) northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō by 11 am.