Images

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist inspects the R3cam webcam enclosure, which had a small amount of water accumulation in recent months that obscured the image. This area of the volcano experiences very high rainfall. Drying out the enclosure and adding fresh desiccant should keep the camera views clear in the future. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A view into Pu‘u‘ō‘ō's crater from the south rim. The white layers represent numerous lava flows and spatter-fed flows formed during periods of high fountaining in the 1980s. The crater floor collapsed in 2018, and dropped by more than 300 meters (yards). Subsequent collapses have filled the deepest part of the crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Another view of moss and ferns along the rim of Pu‘u‘ō‘ō, on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. The red ash originates from collapses within the crater during 2018. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This photo looks west along the south rim of Pu‘u‘ō‘ō. Red ash from the collapses during 2018 fills depressions in the lava flows, allowing moss and small ferns to grow. Green vegetation such as this was not observed by geologists near the rim during the 1983-2018 eruption, presumably due to high gas concentrations. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The R3cam is a webcam on the east flank of Pu‘u‘ō‘ō, and it monitors areas downrift of Pu‘u‘ō‘ō. Given the recent eruptive activity in nearby Nāpau crater, this webcam is essential for detecting any changes that could occur in the area during future unrest. Today, USGS geologists visited to site to dry out the camera enclosure and add new desiccant.

An area of forest continues to burn in a remote area on the south rim of Nāpau Crater following the recent eruption on Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Beginning around 4 p.m. HST on October 6, a smoke plume from the burning vegetation became visible in HVO webcam imagery, and intermittent incandescence was seen overnight.

This aerial photo of Nāpau Crater, looking south, shows the lava flows (gray) from the recent Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption. Along the south rim of the crater (background of image), smoke plumes are visible from a small wildfire that continues to burn in a remote area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo taken by L.

Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. An ongoing wildfire in the vicinity of the recent eruption area near Nāpau Crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has been intermittently visible in HVO webcam imagery.

On the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, a recent eruption covered a large portion of the Nāpau Crater floor with new lava—dark gray lava near center of image. This eruption started a forest fire that continues to burn vegetation along the southern rim of Nāpau Crater. Photo view looking northwest with Kānenuiohamo visible in the upper left.

This reference map depicts the final state of the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption that occurred between September 15 and 20, 2024. The eruptive fissures stretched along 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) of the East Rift Zone, with the longest lava flow extending 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) from the main eruptive vent, which was situated west of Nāpau Crater.

Chain of Craters within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park before 1969, when several craters were partly or completely filled with lava. Now the Chain of Craters Road turns south, away from its pre-1969 route, between Pauahi and ʻAloʻi, a pit crater buried in 1969 by Maunaulu lava flows. The junction with the Hilina Pali Road is essentially at Devil’s Throat.

Map showing temporary seismic nodes across Kīlauea ERZ (red triangles). Earthquakes located in the ERZ between July 1, 2024, and September 22, 2024, are shown as black dots. Kaluapele (Kīlauea’s summit caldera) is outlined in magenta. The blue line drawn between two nodes indicates the area where the velocity changes in were calculated.

Changes in seismic velocity and earthquake rates at Kīlauea from July to mid-August 2024. Changes in seismic velocity with time are shown in the top panel. The bottom panel shows earthquake rates with time for the same period. The dashed magenta line indicates the opening of cracks and fractures as the magmatic intrusion began in the ERZ.

This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea over the timeframe of September 14–26, 2024, during which an eruption occurred on the East Rift Zone.

A glowing crack in a fresh lava flow on the floor of Nāpau Crater, on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Pāhoehoe lava flows paved the floor of Nāpau Crater during the recent eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone. Pāhoehoe is characterized by smooth, billowy, and ropy surface textures. Recent lava flowed over tephra that previously coated this area of the crater floor.

A helicopter overflight on September 20, 2024, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the middle East Rift Zone eruption site on Kīlauea.  This thermal map shows that the eruption at Nāpau Crater had paused this morning, with no fountaining or active lava on the surface.

Thumbnail image for a video that summarizes the recent middle East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea. USGS image by K. Mulliken. 

A USGS scientist aims the viewfinder of an infrared spectrometer to measure the chemistry of volcanic gas on the last day of the Nāpau eruption, September 20, 2024. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.

A view across the floor of Nāpau Crater, covered with fresh lava flows. In the background of the photo, which faces northwest, lava flows that recently cascaded over the northwest wall of the crater are visible. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews reported small fountains and lava flows erupting from one of the western fissures just before 9 a.m. HST on September 20, 2024. By 10 a.m. HST, that activity had ceased and the middle East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea had paused. USGS photo by M. Patrick.