All Multimedia

View of the Kīlauea summit lava lake from the west rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater on April 7, 2021. Lava continues to erupt from the west vent, where a diffuse gas plume is visible in the lower left. The active west part of the lava lake (lower center) is a lighter gray color, compared to the darker appearance of the solidified surface crust to the east.

The Region 1, April 2021 "USGS at Work" Winner (by Alex Olson)

The lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, remains active, as seen in this view looking north. Active surface lava is limited to the western (left) portion of the lake between the main island and the western fissure complex. The blueish tinge to the plume from the western fissure complex (left) is due to sulfur dioxide (SO₂).

This map of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea shows 20 m (66 ft) contour lines (dark gray) that mark locations of equal elevation above sea level (asl). The map shows that the lava lake has filled 225 m (738 ft) of the crater, to an elevation of 742 m (2434 ft) asl since the eruption began on December 20, 2020.

A telephoto image from the ongoing eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. Lava continues to enter the lava lake through an inlet near the base of the west vent cone (right). An incandescent opening near the top of the cone (upper center), ejected occasional bursts of spatter.

A telephoto view of the eastern Halema‘uma‘u crater wall and portion of the crusted-over lava lake at Kīlauea summit. In this photo, molten lava from below the surface crust has squeezed up between the lava crust and the crater wall as an “ooze-out.” USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on April 2, 2021.

A wide view of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The western vent and perched lava lake remain active in the western portion of the crater (left). Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated, with the most recent measurement being 1,200 tonnes per day on April 1. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on April 2, 2021.

Telephoto image of the western cone complex of the current eruption in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. In the center, a horseshoe-shaped spatter rampart is partially filled in by a more recent spatter cone. The cone has an incandescent opening that spatter is occasionally erupted from.

Welcome to the "The I Am A..." series. This is the sixth video in a series of USGS whiteboard animations that highlight USGS careers.

This March 31, 2021, photo shows a close-up view of the active western fissure of Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i. Near the bottom of the photo, orange incandescence can be seen from two circular vents of the spatter cones.

Photograph of cabinets in the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediment Analysis Laboratory contaning the lab's collection of sieves.

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediment Analysis Laboratory's Horiba LA-960 laser diffraction unit with slurry sampler (USGS laboratory equipment number WH-SED-Horiba-LA9601).

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediment Analysis Laboratory's Beckman Coulter Multisizer 3 (USGS laboratory equipment number WH-SED-BeckmanCoulter-Multisizer1).

Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediment Analysis Laboratory's Rigaku Miniflex 600 (USGS laboratory equipment number WH-SED-Rigaku-Miniflex1).