Images

This photograph of Kīlauea's ongoing middle East Rift Zone eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight during the morning of September 17, 2024. This low-angle view looking southwest shows three lava fountains; the tallest is approximately 10 meters (30 feet) high.

This reference map depicts fissures and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. The presented data are current as of the final Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight of the day, which occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m.

This photograph of Kīlauea's ongoing middle East Rift Zone eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight during the morning of September 17, 2024. Geologists observed fountaining eruptive fissures and active lava flows on the floor of Nāpau Crater, just downrift (northeast) of the September 15 eruptive fissure.

Kīlauea volcano is erupting in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park from a new fissure vent that opened within Nāpau Crater this morning, September 17, between 4:00 and 5:00 AM HST.  The eruption is occurring within a closed and remote area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected a sample of the middle East Rift Zone Kīlauea eruption in Nāpau Crater, within a closed area Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Geologists put molten lava into a metal bucket and rapidly quench it with water.

This photograph of Kīlauea's ongoing middle East Rift Zone eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight during the morning of September 17, 2024. This photo was taken at 8:11 am H.S.T.

The S2cam was deployed on September 17, 2024, to monitor the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption. The webcam is located just east of Nāpau Crater, where the eruption is occurring, and looks to the southwest. USGS webcam image. 

This photograph of Kīlauea's ongoing middle East Rift Zone eruption was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight during the morning of September 17, 2024. This photo was taken at 7:30 am H.S.T.

A benchmark on Kīlauea being surveyed by GPS campaign instruments. The metal disk on the ground beneath the tripod is the benchmark, which is cemented to the lava flow surface. During annual GPS surveys, measurements are made on the benchmarks to allow for comparisons to previous surveys. USGS photo by A. Ellis.

This reference map depicts the approximate location of the fissures that erupted from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone, likely between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. HST on Sunday 15, 2024, in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Small lava pads erupted from two fissure segments in a couple hundred meters (hundred yards).

Another aerial view of the small lava flows erupted by Kīlauea over about an hour on September 15, 2024. This eruption took place on the remote middle East Rift Zone, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Although the eruption was over during the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory morning overflight, volcanic gas emissions were continuing.

A brief, small eruption occurred on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea late on September 15. The eruption produced two small pads of lava just west of Nāpau Crater, which is west (uprift) of the former Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight at approximately 10:30 a.m. HST on September 16, geologists observed freshly erupted lava west of Nāpau Crater on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This eruption likely occurred between approximately 9–10 p.m. HST on September 15.  

Dead trees and vegetation are surrounded by freshly erupted lava west of Nāpau Crater on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This eruption likely occurred between approximately 9–10 p.m. HST on September 15.  USGS photo by M. Zoeller. 

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight at approximately 10:30 a.m. HST on September 16, geologists observed steam rising above freshly erupted lava west of Nāpau Crater on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This eruption likely occurred between approximately 9–10 p.m.

This reference map depicts the fissure and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption of Sunday, September 15, 2024. The eruption occurred between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

An east-facing view showing Nāpau Crater in the background and the recent eruption in the foreground. This brief eruption took place on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea over about an hour during heavy rain that obscured webcam views the evening of September 15, 2024. USGS photo by M. Zoeller. 

This thermal map shows two small lava pads erupted late on September 15, just west of Nāpau Crater on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This small eruption resulted from magma intruding from the summit into the East Rift Zone, and was associated with an increase in earthquake activity along the East Rift Zone.

Another aerial view showing the new lava flows that had erupted over about an hour during the evening of September 15, 2024.

This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea over the timeframe of September 2–14, 2024. Data were acquired by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A satellite. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation, with more fringes indicating more deformation. Each color cycle represents 2.8 cm (1.1 in) of ground motion.

At repeater station KOHD, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field engineers upgraded the seismic sensor and digitizer. The instrument is located in a vault, which protects it from environmental noise, such as wind. USGS photo by J. Chang.