Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Photo and Video Chronology – Commemorating one year of eruption in Halema‘uma‘u, Kīlauea summit – September 29, 2022

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory September 28, 2022

The eruption within Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit, began at approximately 3:20 p.m. one year ago today, on September 29, 2021. A series of photos and videos commemorate this milestone. 

HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand how the eruption is evolving at Kīlauea's summit, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 

Three-minute feature commemorating the eruption anniversary

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Kīlauea volcano's summit eruption, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, began one year ago—on September 29, 2021. This three-minute video, produced by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, features footage from the past year and summarizes the eruption.

Audio-described version available here: https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/september-29-2022-one-year-eruption-halemaumau-kilauea-ad

 

Images comparing the eruption just after it started to now

September 28, 2021, KWcam image of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea's summit September 27, 2022, KWcam image of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea's summit
Show only left Show only right
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Download Images
A comparison of KWcam images taken on September 28, 2021, before the eruption began in Halemaʻumaʻu on September 29, 2021, and on September 27, 2022.  On September 28, 2021, several islands, including the one in the center of the crater that formed on December 20, 2020, are surrounded by younger lava flows erupted during the December 2020-May 2021 Kīlauea summit eruption. On September 27, 2022, The floor of Halemaʻumaʻu has grown in area and elevation due to the ongoing eruption in crater. The island that formed on December 20, 2020, is surrounded by younger lava flows so what is seen on the surface of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor represents the oldest and youngest deposits from these recent eruptions! USGS photos.
KWcam image September 29, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. HST KWcam image September 29, 2022, at 11:03 a.m. HST
Show only left Show only right
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Download Images
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory KWcam at Kīlauea's summit has captured changes within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at Kīlauea's summit, over the past year. At approximately 3:21 pm, HST, on September 29, 2021, new fissures opened at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Since then, the crater floor has continued to rise in elevation and grow in area as the eruption continues. The first image was taken on September 29, 2021, just after the eruption began; the second image was taken the morning of September 29, 2022, and shows the changes over the past year. Near-real-time images captured by the KWcam are available here: /volcanoes/kilauea/kwcam-live-panorama-halema-uma-u-.... USGS webcam images. 

Halema‘uma‘u crater floor rise over the past several months

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
This timelapse sequence shows one image per day since March from the B1cam webcam on the east rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The images show that the floor of Halema‘uma‘u has been growing endogenously. Lava is supplied beneath the solidified crust that forms the surface of the crater floor, lifting the surface in a manner similar to inflating an air mattress. In addition to endogenous growth, sporadic lava flows overplate the crust and also contribute to growth.

Animated GIFs showing changes over the past year

Animated gif of eruption maps
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
This animated gif shows one year of reference maps depicting the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, which began on September 29, 2021. The animated gif shows how the active lava lake has decreased in area over the past year, while the crater floor has grown in area. As of September 29, 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. Visit the park eruption page for more info: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/september-2021-eruption.htm. 
Animated gif of eruption maps
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
This animated gif shows one year of thermal maps made from aerial visual and thermal imagery collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The animated gif shows how the active lava lake has decreased in area over the past year, while the crater floor has grown in area. As of September 29, 2022, the active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures.

 

Kīlauea Volcano crater filling as of September 2022

Color map of eruption at summit of volcano
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
This map of the Kīlauea summit is mostly identical to the September 13, 2022, eruption reference map, but also included here are west to east topographic profiles across the caldera. Profiles are provided for the periods before the 2018 caldera collapse (orange), shortly after the 2018 collapse (black), from mid-2021 depicting the December 2020–May 2021 eruption (red), and from this month depicting the September 2021–present eruption (pink). Also shown is the maximum depth of the 2019–20 Halema‘uma‘u water lake (blue). Elevations are expressed in meters above sea level (m asl).

Selection of Halema‘uma‘u eruption photos taken over the past year

A telephoto image of one of the low lava fountains near the center of the growing Halema'uma'u lava lake
A telephoto image of fissures that opened on the western wall of Halema'uma'u crater during the ongoing eruption that began 9/29
With the summit eruption continuing through the night, HVO scientists monitor the eruption for changes in volcanic hazards
A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist takes video of the eruption that started within Halema'uma'u crater Kīlauea summit
This animated image (GIF) shows Kīlauea summit thermal webcam images from the F1cam taken between approximately 2:45 and 5:45 p
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of fissure eruption
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of volcanic vent and bird
Color photograph of lava lake and rainbow
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of lava lake
Color webcam photo of lava lake
Color photograph of lava fountain
Thermal webcam GIF shows one week of eruptive activity in Halema'uma'u
Color photograph of vent and lava lake
An overflow of lava from the active lava lake poured into and along the levee
A wide view of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, taken from the western crater rim
zoomed-in view of the erupting western fissure in Halema‘uma‘u shows lava fountaining activity
A telephoto image of the south-central lava fountain in the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea
A telephoto image of the south-central lava fountain in the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea
A color photo looking down at a small lava fountain surrounded by a spatter cone
Color photograph of eruption
lava flowing
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of flowing lava
color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of active lava lake
Color photograph of lava flow
Color photograph of volcanic vent
A small volcanic cone erupting lava spatter from the top and feeding an active lava lake, while emitting volcanic gas
An uneven, crusted over lava lake surface and a weakly degassing volcanic vent
Lava lake within a crater at Kilauea summit
Nighttime photo of scientists collecting data during a volcanic eruption, backlit by lava
Nighttime photo of a volcanic vent fountaining and supplying lava into an active lava lake
Color photo of a volcanic vent erupting into an active lava lake
Telephoto image of a lava lake overflowing it's levee during a period of high effusion
Telephoto image of a lava stream from an active lava lake
Color photo of a volcanic vent erupting and supplying lava into an active lava lake
Color photograph of an active lava lake with a degassing volcanic cone to the left
Wide aerial view of an active lava lake within a crater. The active vent is emitting a gas plume
Annotated thermal image of an active lava lake and volcanic vent
Color photo of dark, inactive lava lake with a light gas plume emitting from a volcanic vent
Color photograph of lava flow
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of small cones
Color photograph of volcanic vent and lava pond
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava pond and lava cascade
Color photograph of lava flow
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Animated gif of eruption images
Color photograph of volcanic vent
March 4, 2022 — Kīlauea
Telephoto view of an active lava lake with thick volcanic gas emissions
Telephoto view of an active lava lake with a degassing eruptive vent
Color photograph of feature in lava lake
Color photograph of feature in lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of volcanic eruption
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of active lava
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of crater floor
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of crater floor
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava flowing
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Color photograph of hornito
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of crater floor and lava lake
Color photograph of crater edge
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of lava lake
Color photograph of volcanic features
Color photograph of volcanic vent

Get Our News

Hawaii News

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory News

Kīlauea News

Natural Hazards News

Volcano Hazards Program News