Images

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. This photo, taken from the publicly accessible Kīlauea Overlook at approximately 5:30 a.m. HST, shows that lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

HVO scientists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano, within began the morning of June 7, 2023. This aerial photo shows that multiple vent sources are active on the crater floor, much of which has been covered with new lava over the past several hours.

The B1cam, located on the down-dropped block west of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, is one of several Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams that are documenting the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit. You can view all Kīlauea summit webcams here: Summit Webcams | U.S.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected samples erupted on June 7, 2023, during the new eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The samples were collected from the rim of the crater, and range in size up to several inches (6 cm) in size. The samples will be analyzed later for information about the lava erupted during.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

Aerial view shows multiple active vent sources and lava flooding the crater floor. 

A view across the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor, at one of the new vents that began erupting on June 7, 2023. Fountain heights have decreased since the eruption onset and, as of approximately 3 p.m., were about 4-9 meters (13-30 feet) high. The new eruption is confined to Kīlauea summit region, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

A helicopter overflight on June 7, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The overflight happened about two hours after the start of the new eruption at the summit, and eruptive activity consisted of lava fountaining and lava lake activity.

A telephoto view of the locus of four lava fountains in the southern part of Halema‘uma‘u's active lava lake during the mid-afternoon of June 7, 2023. These fountains were approximately 4-9 meters (13-30 feet) high throughout the afternoon, with occasional bursts that were higher. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

A close-up view of the fissure vent in the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. As of 9:30 a.m., multiple vents remain active in the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit.

A telephoto view of a lava fountain in the east side of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u. This photo was taken during a helicopter overflight over 8 hours after the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u started on June 7, 2023. Fountain heights had already decreased from the early stages of the eruption.

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist makes measurements of the rising active lava lake using a laser rangefinder mid-day on June 7, 2023.

In the early evening on June 7, 2023, the fissure in the southwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u had built up walls of spatter around the fountain. The fissure was continuing to pour lava down the talus slope into the active lava lake below. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Data recorded on June 7, 2023, by five seismometers located in Kīlauea summit region. The data is shown as spectrograms, which display the energy of seismic events (vertical axis) occurring over time (horizontal axis).

Duane Champion (shown here on the left, with two coworkers) helped us to unlock Pele’s secrets by studying the magnetic properties preserved in lava flows. A good friend and valuable colleague, he greatly improved our ability to reconstruct past geological events using paleomagnetism. He will be missed.

Wendy Stovall photographed at a monitoring station in the Prince William Sound, Alaska. 

Although most economic loss is concentrated along the west coast, the distribution of relative earthquake risk, as measured by the Annualized Earthquake Loss Ratio (AELR), is spread throughout the country and it reinforces the fact that earthquakes are a national problem.

Map showing distribution of average annualized earthquake loss by region. The high concentration of loss in California and the West Coast is consistent with that region’s high seismic hazard, significant population, and building exposure.