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December 10, 2021

The ongoing eruption at Kīlauea's summit began at 3:21 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021. Lava activity is currently confined within Halema'uma'u crater, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Gas emissions and seismic activity at the summit remain elevated.

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.

Color photograph of volcanic eruption
Sunset on the evening of December 8, 2021, provided stunning views of the eruption in Halema'uma'u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photograph, taken from the Keanakākoʻi overlook within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, looks northwest from the south rim of Kīlauea caldera. Lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halema'uma'u crater, feeding a lava lake that occupies the western portion of the crater, though sporadic ooze-outs of lava continue to occur along the solidified lake margins. USGS image by C. Gansecki. 
Color photograph of eruption
The eruption in Halema'uma'u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, continues. This photograph, taken on the evening of December 8 from the Keanakākoʻi overlook within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, shows the eruption plume backlit by the moon.  The most recent measurement of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates on December 9, 2021, was approximately 3,500 tonnes per day. USGS image by C. Gansecki. 

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