Volcano Hazards Program Office

View of the lava lake from the west rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, looking east. There is a small incandescent opening at the top of the west vent spatter cone (bottom-center). Volcanic gas emissions from the active west vent and are being transported to the southwest (bottom-right) by the wind. The western portion of the lava lake remains active, with

Visual photographs taken during helicopter overflights of Halema‘uma‘u Crater are used to create 3D models of the crater. This technique is called structure-from-motion photogrammetry and uses the multiple perspectives captured in dozens of photos to reconstruct the crater shape. HVO scientists use these models to help calculate erupted volume, eruption rate, and measure

The lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater remains active. This view looking to the northwest on Wednesday, March 4, 2021, focuses on the active portion of the lake; the eastern stagnant portion is out of view to the right. Lava enters the lake at the base of the western vent spatter cone (left). This photo was taken in an area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains

ANIMATED GIF: This animated image file (GIF) includes a series of thermal maps—ranging from daily to several weeks apart—made from helicopter overflight thermal imagery of Halema‘uma‘u crater, Kīlauea summit. The set of thermal maps are in a continuous loop showing the lava lake changes throughout the eruption. The first map was made on December 22, 2020, and the final map

HVO scientists conducted an overflight of Kīlauea's summit the morning of March 4 to document the ongoing eruption. No significant changes were observed—the vent in the northwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u continues to erupt and lava continues to slowly fill the crater. Laser rangefinder measurements from the morning of March 4 indicate that lava has filled about 220 meters (772

During a routine overflight of the Kīlauea East Rift Zone on March 4, HVO scientists visited the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō area to check for any significant changes in recent months. Their most notable observation was further accumulation of talus—rock collapse debris—in the crater that formed on April 30, 2018, as seen in this wide-angle photo. This talus pile now almost completely fills

An aerial view of Pu‘u Pua‘i, Kīlauea Iki, and Kīlauea caldera. Though the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u isn't visible from this vantage point, the bluish-tinged plume of volcanic gasses is visible near the center of the photo. The most recent gas measurements, made on March 3, indicate that Kīlauea's summit is emitting approximately 1,000 tonnes per day of sulfur dioxide (

In this view of Kīlauea Volcano's south caldera area, the margin of the 1982 lava flows are visible (right), as is a portion of Crater Rim Drive. During World War II, bulldozers were used to create mounds in an effort to prevent planes from landing in this area of Kīlauea. These mounds are visible in the lower-left side of this aerial photo, just beyond the 1982 lava flow

HVO's overflight today also included KILAUEA's lower East Rift Zone, where geologists continue to document and map the 2018 eruption deposits. Fissure 8, visible in the center of this photo, emits steam as this geologically-young feature continues to cool. Fissure 8 was recently officially named Ahu‘ailā‘au by the Hawaii Board on Geographic Names (

Steam was also visible in other portions of the 2018 eruption flow field, close to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone (bottom portion of image). As lava was flowing south towards the ocean in 2018, lava channels formed; these channels are visible as dark grey meandering lines in the image. Like water, lava flows along the path of least resistance downslope. USGS image by K. Mulliken

During the overflight of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone on March 4, HVO scientists documented different lava textures in the fissure 8 flow field that formed during the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. This photo shows an area of fissure 8 flows near the ocean. Both rubbly ‘a‘ā (brownish black) and smooth pāhoehoe (grey) are visible. USGS image by K. Mulliken on March 4