By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
June 21, 2023
The eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater entered a pause during the afternoon of June 19, 2023. The eruption, which was occurring inside the Kīlauea summit caldera within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, began during the morning of June 7, 2023.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 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.
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Lava fountaining and effusion in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, paused abruptly around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 19. This comparison shows activity at the southwest wall eruptive vent the day before (left), and the same spot just after activity paused on Monday (right). USGS photo by M. Patrick.
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Just hours after the pause in the Kīlauea summit eruption on June 19, 2023, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited the south rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater to check for any residual activity. They captured this photo of the inactive eruptive vent (lower left) and the cooling lava lake (right). Sections of thin crust on the lake surface were still foundering (overturning) at that time, thereby exposing molten, incandescent lava below, but this process will slow as the lake more thoroughly crusts over. USGS photo by M. Patrick.
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