Images

Fissure 8 lava fountains obscured by a longer exposure photograph taken early morning on June 18. The incandescent spots along a horizontal line mark the edge of the lava channel.

An overflight of Kīlauea's summit on June 18 showed the continued dramatic slumping and collapse of the Halema‘uma‘u crater area. This photo shows the area north-northwest of Halema‘uma‘u near a GPS station, North Pit. This station has subsided about 60 m (197 ft) in the past week. 

Fissure 8 lava flows in an open channel all the way to the ocean. Kapoho Crater is the vegetated hill on the right side of the photograph.

This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana CosmoSkyMed satellite system. The images illustrate changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred between May 5 and June 18 at about 6:00 a.m. HST.

Halema‘uma‘u viewed toward the west during the June 18 helicopter overflight. HVO and Jaggar Museum can barely be seen on the caldera rim in the upper right of the photograph.

An HVO geologist uses a thermal camera to measure the temperature (about 93 degrees C or 200 degrees F) of a ground crack near fissure 9.

North side of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater, marked by large cracks and large blocks that have slumped into the crater.

Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, June 18, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

As magma in a shallow reservoir beneath the summit drains into the East Rift Zone, the ground above it sags, cracks and subsides. The Halema‘uma‘u crater has dropped about 400 m (1300 ft) between early May and late June. Inward slumping of the surrounding Kīlauea Crater floor has doubled the diameter of Halema‘uma‘u.

Fissure 6 (photo center) showed signs of activity overnight, producing small amounts of spatter and feeding short lava flows. Fissure 6 is located about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) downrift from Fissure 8.

During the helicopter overflight on June 18, crews captured this image of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater viewed to the southeast.

Fissure 8 lava flows in an open channel all the way to the ocean. Kapoho Crater is the vegetated hill on the right side of the photograph. Ocean entry plume seen in the distance.

The fissure 8 lava fountain pulses to heights of 50 m (165 ft) within a cinder spatter cone. Fissure 8 feeds&nbs

Morning overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone by the Civil Air Patrol provides context for the location of the fissure 8 fountain and lava channel within the lower Puna District. View is to the north. Image courtesy of Civil Air Patrol.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist measures the height of the growing tephra cone around fissure 8 during Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption.

Lava enters the ocean entry in the vicinity of Vacationland, producing a vigorous laze plume. Lava flowing into the ocean has built a delta of flows, rock rubble and black sand, which is over 320 acres in size.

Occasionally, minor amounts of lava briefly spill over the lava channel levees. The spill overs are the shiny gray lobes along the channel margins. The lava flow field has been relatively stable with little change to its size and shape over the past few days.

Inward slumping of the rim and walls of Halema‘uma‘u continues in response to ongoing subsidence at the summit. Sulfur dioxide emissions from the volcano's summit have dropped to levels that are about half those measured prior to the onset of the current episode of eruptive activity.

Morning overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone by the Civil Air Patrol provides context for the location of the fissure 8 fountain and lava channel within the lower Puna District.

View of the active ocean entry in the vicinity of Vacationland. The interaction of hot lava with the ocean creates "laze", a corrosive seawater plume laden with hydrochloric acid and fine volcanic particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, but that dissipates quickly with distance.

At Kīlauea Volcano's summit, inward slumping of the rim and walls of Halema‘uma‘u continues in response to ongoing subsidence. In this view to the southwest taken after this morning's event, a section of dark-colored wall rock (center left) has detached and dropped downward into the crater.