Images

To help us understand what could happen at Kīlauea Volcano's summit, we look to past similar events, but this does not mean that future events will be exactly the same. This map shows the distribution of ballistics and tephra from the 1924 phreatic (steam-driven) explosions.

A team of USGS scientists work off the R/V Sallenger in Rockaway Beach, New York. One team member stands on a floating sled that enables sub‐bottom surveying in shallow water, nearshore, and shore‐face environments. The sled is equipped with an EdgeTech SB‐512i CHIRP system and single‐beam sonar.

Ash column rises from the Overlook crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. HVO's interpretation is that the explosion was triggered by a rockfall from the steep walls of Overlook crater. The photograph was taken 5/9/18 at 8:29 a.m. HST from the Jaggar Museum overlook.

HVO geologist measured a temperature of 103 degrees C (218 degree F) at a crack along Nohea Street, Leilani Estates. The asphalt road was describes as "mushy" from the heat.

Yellow street lines show the offset of cracks on Leilani Street, Leilani Estates.

The summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater has dropped substantially over the past week due to intrusive and eruptive activity on the lower East Rift zone. This 3D model of the crater was created from thermal images collected during a helicopter overflight on May 8. The lake at this time was roughly 295 m (970 feet) below the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

At 13:00 p.m. HST. Aerial view from the Hawaii County Fire Department of fissure 15. The fissure cut across Pohoiki Road.

This map shows the locations of fissures and an 'a'ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 5:30 p.m. HST, May 9. Note the area of heavy steaming from ground cracks that began earlier this afternoon, located west of Highway 130. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

At 16:22 HST. Steaming area located uprift (west) of Highway 130. Geologists observed many steaming ground cracks in the area during two overflights this afternoon. This area is inline with fissures 1-15 (in distance, upper left in photo), but located farther west.

This thermal map shows the fissure system during an overflight of the area this afternoon. Fissure 15, at the northeast end of the fissure system, formed today but was only briefly active. The black and white area is the extent of the thermal map.

 The beach-dependent shorebirds project at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center relies heavily on collaborations with other DOI agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.

Severe ground cracks associated with fissure 14 in Leilani Estates. 

Ash column rises from the Overlook crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. HVO's interpretation is that the explosion was triggered by a rockfall from the steep walls of Overlook crater. The photograph was taken at 8:29 a.m. HST from the Jaggar Museum overlook. The explosion was short-lived.

This map shows the locations of fissures and an ‘A‘ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 7:00 p.m. HST, May 8. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.

Preliminary map showing location of fissures 13 and 14, prepared by geologists on site in Leilani Estates at 16:06 p.m. today. Both fissures were briefly active this afternoon. Geologists reported fissure 13 activity had diminished by about 5 p.m. HST.

Aerial view of fissure 13 that became active mid-afternoon today.

Cracks in Highway 130; orange paint was used to outline the cracks. The road remained closed for much of the day on 5/7/18.

Steam rises from fissure 9 on Moku Street in the Leilani Estates Subdivision.

An in-progress piping plover nest on Parramore Island, Virginia -- females typically lay 3 to 4 eggs in a nest over the course of a week. Both the male and female will take turns incubating eggs when the final egg is laid. This nest was established in new overwash habitat created by storms during the winter of 2017-2018. 

Aerial view of fissure 12 at 1:15 p.m. HST.