Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory images of eruptive activity, field work, and more.
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.
Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.
Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.
View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.
View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.
Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.
Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.
Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.
Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.
At 1:38 p.m. HST. A telephoto photo from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looking toward the southwest shows gray ash blanketing the Kau Desert landscape.
At 1:38 p.m. HST. A telephoto photo from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looking toward the southwest shows gray ash blanketing the Kau Desert landscape.
At 11:05 a.m. HST. Photograph from the Jaggar Museum, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, captures an ash plume rising from the Overlook crater. Ash falling from the plume can be seen just to the right side (and below) the plume.
At 11:05 a.m. HST. Photograph from the Jaggar Museum, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, captures an ash plume rising from the Overlook crater. Ash falling from the plume can be seen just to the right side (and below) the plume.
Ash plume viewed from the Volcano Golf Course near Volcano, Hawai‘i. This view is nearly due north of the Halema‘uma‘u crater.
Ash plume viewed from the Volcano Golf Course near Volcano, Hawai‘i. This view is nearly due north of the Halema‘uma‘u crater.
At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.
At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.
Map as of 6:45 a.m. HST, May 15, shows the location of the 'a'ā lava flow spreading from fissure 17; the flow front at the time is shown by the small red circle with label. The flow is following well a path of steepest descent (blue line), immediately south of the 1955 'a'ā flow boundary.
Map as of 6:45 a.m. HST, May 15, shows the location of the 'a'ā lava flow spreading from fissure 17; the flow front at the time is shown by the small red circle with label. The flow is following well a path of steepest descent (blue line), immediately south of the 1955 'a'ā flow boundary.
Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u on May 15, 2018, was blown by trade winds to the southwest, where it fell from the plume and blanketed the Ka‘ū Desert landscape. Samples of this ash were collected for ash leachate analyses as part of the assessment of hazards from Kīlauea Volcano's eruption.
Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u on May 15, 2018, was blown by trade winds to the southwest, where it fell from the plume and blanketed the Ka‘ū Desert landscape. Samples of this ash were collected for ash leachate analyses as part of the assessment of hazards from Kīlauea Volcano's eruption.
At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.
At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.
At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.
At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.
At 2:00 p.m. HST. View of Fissure 17 looking makai (southward) from Hwy 132
At 2:00 p.m. HST. View of Fissure 17 looking makai (southward) from Hwy 132
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 13, shows the location of fissure 17, which opened this morning at approximately 4:30 a.m. HST. NOTE: This new fissure was initially referred to as fissure 18 in early reports, but that is incorrect (what was called fissure 17 yesterday did not erupt lava, so this morning's erupting fissure is actually 17).
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 13, shows the location of fissure 17, which opened this morning at approximately 4:30 a.m. HST. NOTE: This new fissure was initially referred to as fissure 18 in early reports, but that is incorrect (what was called fissure 17 yesterday did not erupt lava, so this morning's erupting fissure is actually 17).
Main map shows the location of fissure 16, as well as earlier fissures, lava flows, and steaming areas, as of 12:00 p.m. HST, May 12. Inset map shows fissures in Leilani Estates in the order they occurred since May 3. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Main map shows the location of fissure 16, as well as earlier fissures, lava flows, and steaming areas, as of 12:00 p.m. HST, May 12. Inset map shows fissures in Leilani Estates in the order they occurred since May 3. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
On the morning of May 9, 2018, a large rockfall in "Overlook crater" within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea triggered a gas-driven explosion that sent an ash plume several thousand feet skyward. Phreatic (steam-driven) explosions can create larger ash plumes; the 1924 explosions sent ash plumes up to 20,000 feet high. USGS photo.
On the morning of May 9, 2018, a large rockfall in "Overlook crater" within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea triggered a gas-driven explosion that sent an ash plume several thousand feet skyward. Phreatic (steam-driven) explosions can create larger ash plumes; the 1924 explosions sent ash plumes up to 20,000 feet high. USGS photo.
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.
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.