Images

Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, and the erupting fissure, is just to the left of top center. The channelized flow initially heads east-northeast, then turns to the southeast. The front of the flow is at the bottom of the image, where it is advancing as an ‘A‘ā flow.

This view is to the east, looking at the western-most erupting part of the fissure. This lava joins with lava erupting from the fissure out of sight below and feeds into the channelized flow visible crossing the through the background of the photo.

Stalled terminus of the ‘A‘ā flow fed by the September 21 fissure eruption.

High aerial view of the active lava channel. The lowest, eastern-most end of the fissure is in view at the bottom of the photo. Rather than feeding the ‘A‘ā flow active for the first couple of days, the flow now is spreading out on the low slope area at the eastern base of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, visible in the top half of the photo.

View looking east-northeast, directly down the upper end of the fissure. The fuming cones in the foreground are parts of the fissure that erupted when the fissure opened but have since shut down. The spatter beyond, where the fissure is still erupting, is reaching about 2 m (7 ft) into the air. The lava channel is visible in the background.

Lava cascades down the east flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone from a fissure that opened on the upper east flank early Wednesday morning.

Steaming to the deployment site south of Martha's Vineyard, MA in 2011. The platform shown was specially adapted so the arm cycles up and down through the Benthic Boubdary Layer while deployed on the seafloor.  For more information see https://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2011/11/fieldwork2.html.

A new fissure eruption in September 2011 on the east flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō on Kīlauea Volcano's east rift zone reminds us of the need to be aware of our ever-changing volcanic environment on Hawai‘i Island. The fissure—the source of the lava flow—is shown in this image. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone and crater are in the background. Aerial view is to the southwest.

The overflows were fed from the edge of an active lava lake filling the east side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. As the lake and its containing levees has risen, an ever increasing amount of the east rim of the crater is being buried. This photo, looking roughly northwest, shows lava overflowing the east rim of the crater.

This photo shows an overflow from the northwest side of the West Gap pit advancing as a narrow channelized flow. The flow is just beginning to transition into ‘A‘ā at its terminus. The view is to the south-southeast.

A lava lake also fills the western side of the crater. This morning, lava overflowed that lake, and then filled and overtopped the northwest rim of a pit on the west side of the crater (the West Gap pit; just above and to the right side of the photo). These flows have traveled up to about 400 m down the northwest flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō to its base.

A deflation-inflation (DI) event, which began yesterday afternoon, led to a marked decrease in eruptive activity at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō overnight. The western lava lake, at upper right, became inactive, while the eastern lava lake, filling the center of the frame, dropped several meters and became very sluggish.

The level of the lava lake on the east side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater is even with the crater's northeast rim. Standing at that spot afforded an eerie view looking across the surface of the lake. A scientist, rescuing equipment, is visible on the crater rim in the background. The view is toward the south.

Since overflows to the west began yesterday morning (9/14), perched lava ponds have developed outside of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on the cone's upper west flank. Unless something else gives, these ponds will likely continue to grow taller, impounded by chilled lava from the ponds themselves. Overflows from the ponds will continue to mantle the west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

Lava has been overflowing the east rim of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater over the last few days. These overflows have traveled up to about 500 m down Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's east flank before stalling as the slope flattens. The overflows show up in this photo as lighter gray pahoehoe and ‘A‘ā flows at the center of the image. The view is to the west.

Two vertical air photos, stitched together, show all of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's crater. The islands within the eastern lava lake, to the right, give it an appearance somewhat like Edvard Munch's "The Scream".

Ice conditions in the Arctic from CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.

This thermal image, looking east, shows the two perched lava ponds within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. The eastern perched pond was just below the level of the east rim today.

This photograph shows a close-up of the perched lava pond abutting the east rim of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. The lava was just a meter (yard) or so below the low point on the rim, and was close to spilling over.

This vertical view from today's overflight shows the layout of activity within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. The shiny area towards the right portion of the crater floor is the eastern perched lava pond, while the shiny area in the left portion of the crater floor (close to the center of the image) is the western perched pond.

This photograph, looking west, shows the active lava within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater in the early morning light.