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Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms
Bear Lake QW Platforms

Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms

Technicians deploy water-quality instrumentation on Bear Lake platforms

Aerial view of a fissure with lava coming out
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano
Fissure 17 Aerial View — Kīlauea Volcano

At about 07:00 a.m. HST, Fissure 17 as shown from the air. The HVO field crew reported that the spattering height and intensity at Fissure 17 seemed to have intensified slightly from yesterday, but the length of active spattering in the fissure is shorter.

At about 07:00 a.m. HST, Fissure 17 as shown from the air. The HVO field crew reported that the spattering height and intensity at Fissure 17 seemed to have intensified slightly from yesterday, but the length of active spattering in the fissure is shorter.

Aerial view looking at a roadway with major cracks across it.
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack
Kīlauea Volcano — Aerial View of Ground Crack

Aerial view of ground cracks on Pohoiki Road during an overflight of the eruptive fissurearea at about 7 a.m. HST. Cracks continued to open and widen, some with horizontal and vertical offsets, in the area during the past 24 hours.

Aerial view of ground cracks on Pohoiki Road during an overflight of the eruptive fissurearea at about 7 a.m. HST. Cracks continued to open and widen, some with horizontal and vertical offsets, in the area during the past 24 hours.

Aerial view of a fissure with oozing lava coming from it.
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 17 Oozing Lava

The Fissure 17 flow front has slowed substantially with only small amounts of pasty "toothpaste" lava oozing out from the flow front. However lava continues to be erupted from the active fissure.

The Fissure 17 flow front has slowed substantially with only small amounts of pasty "toothpaste" lava oozing out from the flow front. However lava continues to be erupted from the active fissure.

Person standing next to large cracks in the road
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano
Major Cracks from Magma Intrusion — Kīlauea Volcano

HVO geologist next to cracks on Nohea Street in Leilani Estates this morning. These cracks expanded significantly in the past day. Note the vertical offset across the cracks.

overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw
overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous tw

Fissure 17 as seen from the air on Monday, May 17, around 7:00 a.m. HST, when the overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days. Twenty fissures have erupted in the lower Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i as of May 17, and additional fissures could still open as this eruption on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone continues.

Fissure 17 as seen from the air on Monday, May 17, around 7:00 a.m. HST, when the overall vigor of fissure appeared to have dropped from the previous two days. Twenty fissures have erupted in the lower Puna District on the Island of Hawai‘i as of May 17, and additional fissures could still open as this eruption on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone continues.

Color radar image
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u
Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u

Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.

Radar image of the May 17, 2018 eruption of ash from Halema‘uma‘u Crater. This image is a slice through the cloud at an altitude of 14,000 ft (4 km) above sea level at 4:12 a.m., HST. The colors scale is radar reflectivity, a measure of the size of the particles and their concentration within the ash cloud.

water filtration plant
water filtration plant
water filtration plant
water filtration plant

water filtration plant in contra costa county, california

An Overview of EROS
An Overview of EROS
An Overview of EROS

The EROS mission is to document and study changes to earth. With a vast archive of imagery from multiple sources, the EROS archive is the longest continuous record or earth's changing landscapes.

The EROS mission is to document and study changes to earth. With a vast archive of imagery from multiple sources, the EROS archive is the longest continuous record or earth's changing landscapes.

Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor...
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor
Explosive event last night hurled rocks onto Kīlauea crater floor

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Image of the Week - Hawaii's Lava Flow
Image of the Week - Hawaii's Lava Flow
Image of the Week - Hawaii's Lava Flow

Lava continues to flow, changing the landscape, vegetation and coastline in Hawaii.



At the USGS EROS Center, we study land change, operate the Landsat satellites, and maintain the longest, continuously acquired collection of images of the Earth's land surface.

Lava continues to flow, changing the landscape, vegetation and coastline in Hawaii.



At the USGS EROS Center, we study land change, operate the Landsat satellites, and maintain the longest, continuously acquired collection of images of the Earth's land surface.

Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a....
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures and Flows, May 16 at 7:00 a.m

Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Map shows the location of the lava flow spreading from fissure 17 as of 7:00 a.m. HST, May 16. The flow is following a path of steepest descent (blue line) south of a 1955 'a'ā flow. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Steam from a fissure
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20
Kīlauea Volcano - Between Fissure 16 and 20

Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.

Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.

lava spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lava Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lava Spattering
Kīlauea Volcano - Lower East Rift Zone Eruption (Fissure 18)
Kīlauea Volcano - Lower East Rift Zone Eruption (Fissure 18)
Kīlauea Volcano - Lower East Rift Zone Eruption (Fissure 18)

This video shows spattering at fissure 18, Kīlauea Volcano's Lower East Rift Zone, at approximately 2:00 AM HST on May 16, 2018. The audio captures the sounds of explosions and burning vegetation.

Plumes in the distance
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano - Plumes

View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.

View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.

Rocks from a volcanic crater laying in the middle of the ground surrounded by ash.
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Rocks Hurled from Overlook Crater

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Close view of rock hurled from the Overlook crater during an explosive event last evening. The rock broke apart on impact, and was about 60 cm (24 in) before it hit the ground. The location is a few hundred meters (yards) south of the Overlook crater at the Halema‘uma‘u parking lot.

Kīlauea Volcano - Spattering (Aerial Between Fissures 16 and 20)
Kīlauea Volcano - Spattering (Aerial Between Fissures 16 and 20)
Kīlauea Volcano - Spattering (Aerial Between Fissures 16 and 20)

Aerial view (from a helicopter) of spattering between fissures 16 and 20, Kīlauea Volcano Lower East Rift Zone, at approximately 7:30 AM HST on May 16, 2018. The audio is the sound of the helicopter.

Kīlauea Volcano — Small Explosions (Fissure 17)
Kīlauea Volcano — Small Explosions (Fissure 17)
Kīlauea Volcano — Small Explosions (Fissure 17)

For the past several days, intermittent small explosions have occurred at the west end of Fissure 17. These explosions throw large pieces of spatter to a height of about 150 m (500 ft).

For the past several days, intermittent small explosions have occurred at the west end of Fissure 17. These explosions throw large pieces of spatter to a height of about 150 m (500 ft).

Photo of a met station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, USGS
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

Image of a Met Station at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, USGS - New Mexico Water Science Center (NMWSC)

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