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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory images of eruptive activity, field work, and more.

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lava flowing down volcano
Aerial view of Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa
Aerial view of Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa
Aerial view of Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa

Aerial photos taken at 7:15 AM local time (HST) from Civil Air Patrol flight. Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa.

Lava flow on Mauna Loa
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022

Lava fountains along a fissure on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone at approximately 9:30 a.m. HST on November 28, 2022. The photo was taken looking toward the north. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Lava fountains along a fissure on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone at approximately 9:30 a.m. HST on November 28, 2022. The photo was taken looking toward the north. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

lava flowing down volcano
Lava flow — Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa
Lava flow — Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa
Lava flow — Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa

Aerial photos taken at 7:15 AM local time (HST) from Civil Air Patrol flight. Northeast rift zone eruption of Mauna Loa.

Lava flow on Mauna Loa
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022
Lava flow on Mauna Loa - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo of a fissure and lava flows on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone at approximately 9:30 a.m. HST on November 28, 2022. The photo view is to the NW, with Mauna Kea on the right hand side of the image. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Aerial photo of a fissure and lava flows on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone at approximately 9:30 a.m. HST on November 28, 2022. The photo view is to the NW, with Mauna Kea on the right hand side of the image. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo shows fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa and generating a lava flow on the northeast flank. Image courtesy of Civil Air Patrol.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo shows fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa and generating a lava flow on the northeast flank. Image courtesy of Civil Air Patrol.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo shows fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Image courtesy of Civil Air Patrol.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo shows fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Image courtesy of Civil Air Patrol.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a section of the braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a section of the braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking at the line of fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking at the line of fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking at the line of fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking at the line of fissure vents erupting above 10,000 ft elevation on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa.

Lava flowing down a mountainside with smoke billowing from the lava
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022
Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption - November 28, 2022

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a section of the braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

Aerial photo captured during an overflight of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa at approximately 5-6:30 p.m. HST on November 28, 2022. This photo is looking down on a section of the braided lava flow on the northeast flank.

eruption in the distance
Mauna Loa eruption as viewed from Waikoloa
Mauna Loa eruption as viewed from Waikoloa
Mauna Loa eruption as viewed from Waikoloa

Mauna Loa eruption as viewed from Waikoloa at about 1:25am local time (HST). The eruption is occurring from the summit of the volcano, though lava has overflowed the caldera.

Mauna Loa eruption as viewed from Waikoloa at about 1:25am local time (HST). The eruption is occurring from the summit of the volcano, though lava has overflowed the caldera.

Color map of eruption at summit of volcano
November 25, 2022—Kīlauea summit eruption reference map
November 25, 2022—Kīlauea summit eruption reference map
November 25, 2022—Kīlauea summit eruption reference map

This reference map depicts the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on November 25, 2022. One eruptive vent (orange) is active within Halema‘uma‘u, on the western side of the crater floor. An adjacent pond (purple) is feeding lava to a larger lake (red) via a crusted-over tube.

This reference map depicts the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on November 25, 2022. One eruptive vent (orange) is active within Halema‘uma‘u, on the western side of the crater floor. An adjacent pond (purple) is feeding lava to a larger lake (red) via a crusted-over tube.

Color photograph of lava lake
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption

A telephoto view of the west vent area within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo was taken the morning of November 23, 2022, at a moment when red molten material was visible in the inlet north of the west vent, which feeds into the lava lake. Incandescent material is intermittently visible in the inlet. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

A telephoto view of the west vent area within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo was taken the morning of November 23, 2022, at a moment when red molten material was visible in the inlet north of the west vent, which feeds into the lava lake. Incandescent material is intermittently visible in the inlet. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

Color map of lava lake temperature
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on November 23, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on November 23, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

Color map of lava lake temperature
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps
November 23, 2022—Kīlauea summit UAS thermal maps

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on November 23, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on November 23, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

Color photograph of lava lake
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption
November 23, 2022 — Kīlauea Summit Eruption

A telephoto view of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning on November 23, 2022, taken from the west rim and looking east. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

A telephoto view of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning on November 23, 2022, taken from the west rim and looking east. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

Color graphic showing stages of building damage from lava flow
Building damage states used to classify buildings affected by the 2018 lower East Rift Zone lava flows by damage severity
Building damage states used to classify buildings affected by the 2018 lower East Rift Zone lava flows by damage severity
Building damage states used to classify buildings affected by the 2018 lower East Rift Zone lava flows by damage severity

Building damage states used to classify buildings affected by Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone lava flows by damage severity, the first developed for lava flows. (Source: Elinor Meredith and Nguyen Thi Nam Phuong/Earth Observatory of Singapore).

Color photograph of lava lake
Halema‘uma‘u's active lake surface
Halema‘uma‘u's active lake surface
Halema‘uma‘u's active lake surface

A close-up view of Halema‘uma‘u's active lava lake. The western rim of Kīlauea was visited by field crews who observed variable amounts of spattering along the eastern margin of the lake (seen here at the top of the photograph). The direction of flow is from west to east (bottom to top in this photograph).

A close-up view of Halema‘uma‘u's active lava lake. The western rim of Kīlauea was visited by field crews who observed variable amounts of spattering along the eastern margin of the lake (seen here at the top of the photograph). The direction of flow is from west to east (bottom to top in this photograph).

Color photograph of crater erupting
Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea volcano, from overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater - November 17 2022
Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea volcano, from overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater - November 17 2022
Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea volcano, from overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater - November 17 2022

View looking west of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea volcano the morning of November 17, 2022. This photo is taken from the overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater, which is publicly accessible. Lava is visible in the center of the photo, to the left of the top of the shrub in the foreground.

View looking west of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea volcano the morning of November 17, 2022. This photo is taken from the overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater, which is publicly accessible. Lava is visible in the center of the photo, to the left of the top of the shrub in the foreground.

Color photograph of hornito
Tall, thin hornito on the east side of Halemaʻumaʻu
Tall, thin hornito on the east side of Halemaʻumaʻu
Tall, thin hornito on the east side of Halemaʻumaʻu

This tall, thin hornito on the eastern side of the crater floor of Halemaʻumaʻu is made up of spatter. The spatter made its way through a crack in the thick, solidified lava that forms the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The yellow and white patches at the bottom are from sulfur that has come out of the magma precipitating on the lava.

This tall, thin hornito on the eastern side of the crater floor of Halemaʻumaʻu is made up of spatter. The spatter made its way through a crack in the thick, solidified lava that forms the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The yellow and white patches at the bottom are from sulfur that has come out of the magma precipitating on the lava.

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