Photo and Video Chronology – Kīlauea summit eruption – June 12, 2023 | U.S. Geological Survey

Photo and Video Chronology – Kīlauea summit eruption – June 12, 2023

Kīlauea eruption webpage

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory June 13, 2023

The eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater continues, The eruption, which is occurring in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, began the morning of June 7, 2023.

Kīlauea summit eruption livestream

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. The eruption is occurring within Halemaʻumaʻu, a location that is significant to Native Hawaiian communities because it is the home of the deity Pele.

Color photograph of spattering lava — Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this telephoto view of the spattering surface on the southern side of the crater during an eruption monitoring shift on June 12. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of volcanic vent — A close-up of the glowing vent on Halema‘uma‘u lava lake surface shows that it is built from clots of spatter that have welded together. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of erupting crater floor — Crustal foundering in Halema‘uma‘u crater forms a beautiful color pattern of crustal plates separated by cracks. The darker colors along the cracks are newly cooled thin lobes of lava. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

color photograph of lava flows — The lava on the surface of Halema‘uma‘u crater is hot and fluid even though it quickly grows a dark crust. When the crust forms, it becomes denser than the fluid lava below and starts to sink into it. The fluid red lava below forms thin lobes above the sinking crust. We call this process crustal foundering—an overturn of the crust. It only takes seconds before the red exposed lava also crusts over and darkens again. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of crater floor — The island, which was created in the very first hours of the 2020 Halema‘uma‘u lava lake eruption, is still visible. Fresh lava from the opening of the 2023 eruption has risen high around the edges and covered part of the surface. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists wonder how much longer this feature will survive. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of active lava — In this telephoto view of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater, lava flows from right to left from an outlet in lower right side of photo. As lava flows, the outlet slowly grows a soft crust of dark lava fingers. USGS photo by J. Schmith on June 12, 2023.

color photograph of volcanic vent — From the southwest part of Halema‘uma‘u crater rim, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists were able to view into vent perched on the western wall. On June 12, they observed that lava was still spattering inside the vent, but rarely making it out of the top. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of volcanic vent — During a Kīlauea summit eruption field observation shift on June 12, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists noted that lava was not flowing down the surface of the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater wall, though the vent was still fuming. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of eruption — Lava continues to flow in the summit crater Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea volcano, but surface activity is focused on the western end of the lava lake. This telephoto view shows the northeastern part of the surface activity. A glowing vent with spattering deep inside the vent can be seen on the left. Fumes are coming off around the base. Lava bubbles in low spatter burst in the low horseshoe shaped vent shrouded in fumes to the right and flows out in a clockwise motion around the vent area. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

Color photograph of volcanic vent — Eruptive activity at the summit of Kīlauea has localized to the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater in recent days. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists had this view of the primary eruptive vent on Monday, June 12, from the western crater rim, looking to the southeast. The vent has built a spatter cone that measures 40 meters (130 feet) tall and is perched on a talus slope that mantles the crater wall from the 2018 summit collapse. USGS photo by M. Zoeller.

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During the morning of June 7, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists scouted the perimeter of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor for a location to sample lava erupted by new vents that opened that morning. Initial lava flows inundated the crater floor and although the lava flows on the perimeter were solid by the time geologists arrived, they were still hot to touch. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The eruption is occurring within Halemaʻumaʻu, a location that is significant to Native Hawaiian communities as it is the home of the deity Pele. USGS video by K. Mulliken.

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During the morning of June 12, 2023, HVO scientists conducted an overflight of the eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. Activity is concentrated in the western part of the crater, where multiple vents, including one on the southwest all, are erupting lava onto the crater floor. The eruption is occurring within Halemaʻumaʻu, a location that is significant to Native Hawaiian communities as it is the home of the deity Pele. USGS video by K. Mulliken.

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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's B1cam was located on the east rim of the down-dropped block within Kīlauea’s summit caldera, overlooking Halema‘uma‘u crater to the west. The eruption that began within Halema‘uma‘u crater in the early morning of June 7, 2023, flooded the crater floor with lava and the B1cam was exposed to intense heat. On June 8, scientists, with helicopter support, moved the B1cam and its solar power system farther east on the caldera floor. The B1cam view shows the down-dropped block and Halema‘uma‘u crater to the east. The eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. NPS video/J. Wei.

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This timelapse video shows the first three days (June 7–9) of the new eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The initial intensity of the eruption covered the crater floor with lava, fed by numerous fountains. As the eruption stabilized and the vigor declined, the area of active lava on the surface was reduced. This timelapse sequence shows daylight hours only.

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Low fountaining has been active where lava upwells into Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This video shows a series of small fountains in the southern portion of the crater floor. Camera shake is due to high winds at the time.

Color image of crater floor temperature — A helicopter overflight on June 12, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The eruptive activity has consisted of lava fountaining and lava lake activity, confined within the crater. The area of active lava has diminished in recent days. 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.

Color image of crater floor temperature — A helicopter overflight on June 12, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The eruptive activity has consisted of lava fountaining and lava lake activity, confined within the crater. The area of active lava has diminished in recent days. 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.

Color images of crater floor temperatures — This compilation shows thermal maps of the initial days of the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The high initial eruption rates in the opening day of the eruption supplied numerous lava fountains that covered the entire crater floor with new lava. Over the next few days the eruption rates declined and stabilized, supplying a smaller lava lake area in the southwestern 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.

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