Images

A close-up aerial view of the southern active lava lake margin within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit. The formation of the levee containing the “perched” active lava lake (center to upper-right) is partially due to crustal plates from the active lake surface being pushed onto the rim of the lava lake.

A helicopter overflight on March 26, 2021, at approximately 8 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano.

This figure shows a comparison of ongoing activity in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, with a 2007 lava channel on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. On the left, a photo shows the levee that is containing the active perched lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u.

A wide view of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea summit, taken on March 24, 2021 at 12:48 p.m. HST. A gas plume rises from the west vent (center-left), which continues to erupt lava into the active western portion of the lava lake (light gray in color). The center and eastern lava lake surface is covered by a darker, stagnant crust.

The lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, remains active. Active surface lava is limited to the western (bottom) portion of the lake between the main island and the western fissure complex. In this view looking east, a 4 meter (13 feet) diameter skylight is visible at the top of the northeastern-most spatter cone (left). USGS photo by N.

The lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, remains active. Active surface lava is limited to the western portion of the lake, and is impounded by steep, well-defined levees. USGS photo by M. Patrick on March 22, 2021.

A close up of the inlet where lava from the western fissure feeds into the lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The inlet is formed from two adjacent lava streams. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This photo shows the levee that bounds the southern margin of the active lake in Halema‘uma‘u. The levee is formed, in part, by numerous small crustal plates pushed over the rim. USGS photo by M. Patrick on March 22, 2021.

This photo shows the northern portion of the active lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Like the southern portion of the lake, this northern zone is also contained by steep, well-defined levees. USGS photo by M. Patrick on March 22, 2021.

Crustal foundering—less-dense liquid lava overriding and sinking thin surface crust—is common in the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Here, large sections of the crust are foundering, resurfacing the lake. USGS photo by M. Patrick on March 22, 2021.

This photo shows one of the islands near the inlet in the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Over the past two weeks, the island has tilted 90 degrees, producing the vertical layering visible here. USGS photo by M. Patrick on March 22, 2021.

On Thursday, March 18, lava continued to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea Volcano's summit. Two lava inlets near the base of the west vent (center) supply lava into the lava lake. This photo was taken around 7:15 a.m.

On March 18, 2021, morning light illuminated the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater at Kīlauea Volcano's summit. Small collapses of the cone have accumulated into a loose pile of rubble (left) on the stagnant crust at its base—adjacent to the active lava lake (lower-right). USGS photo by K. Lynn.

On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2021, a rainbow was observed adjacent to the active lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. This photo was taken around 11:00 a.m. HST from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

View of the lava lake from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, looking north. The western (left) portion of the lava lake remains active, with small scale crustal foundering events. Lava enters the lake at two sources approximately 20 to 30 meters (65 to 100 ft) apart at the base of the western vent spatter cone.

This map of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea shows 20 m (66 ft) contour lines (dark gray) that mark locations of equal elevation above sea level (asl). The map shows that the lava lake has filled 221 m (725 ft) of the crater, to an elevation of 737 m (2418 ft) asl since the eruption began on December 20, 2020.

View looking to the northwest of western fissure area of Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the Kīlauea summit on March 11, 2021. There is a small incandescent opening at the top of the main (southern) west vent spatter cone (middle-left), and a few smaller incandescent openings at the top of the northern west vent spatter cone (right of the main cone).

View of the lava lake from the southern rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, looking north. The western portion of the lava lake remains active, with small scale crustal foundering events. The white steam from the crater walls is more pronounced due to the heavy rain of the last couple of days.

This map shows the response time people can expect based on Mauna Loa eruptions over the past 200 years.  Different sectors around Mauna Loa are colored according to how quickly lava flows can reach populated areas.  The warmer the color, the more quickly the flows travel.

A wider view of the western portion of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea on Sunday, March 7. The lake has developed a subtle levee on its south margin (just below the center of the photo), with several lava streams cascading down onto the lower level on the eastern end of the levee. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A close-up of the western fissure on Sunday, March 7, within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. The photos shows a minor change in the vent configuration over the preceding few days. A new lava stream was active north of the normal lava stream entering the lake. This new lava stream was perched above the lake surface, and fed a narrow channel entering the lake.