Multimedia Gallery

View looking down at the September-October 2021 lava lake eruption of Halemaʻumaʻu from the F1 thermal camera located on the western rim of the crater at Kīlauea’s summit. Molten material appears as warmer colors of yellow, orange, and pink, whereas cooler material is represented by dark blue and purple colors. The left-hand image is from September 29, 2021, at 5:32 p.m.

Photo from the western rim of Kīlauea caldera looking down on the west vent feeding the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u. Spatter is being thrown 5-10 m (16-33 ft) high out of the west vent onto the walls of the cone that has formed around the lava fountain. The small pond inside the cone is about 2 m (7 ft) higher and forms a small cascade down to the larger lava lake. USGS

View looking east (standing on the western rim of Kīlauea caldera) of the the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater and the west vent feeding the lava lake. Parts of the eastern lava lake are still rising but do not have active lava flows across the top of their surface. The western part of the lava lake still has active flows at the surface, which flow around the north and

Some noticeable topography has formed within the northwestern part of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo from the western rim of the caldera looks down at the northwestern part of the lava lake, where a ledge with a height of 5 m (16 ft) has developed. A small cascade has formed that flows down from the main active part of the west lava lake

The large island that formed during the Halema‘uma‘u December 2020–May 2021 eruption at Kīlauea summit has active lava on both the north and south sides as the new lava lake continues to slowly fill the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater. This photo was taken at 2:15 p.m. HST. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

On October 19, 2021, the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater—at the summit of Kīlauea—showed surface activity by crustal foundering, where warm lava flows on top of older, cooler surface crust that then sinks back into the lake. A 1 m (3 ft) high edge separates the active surface to the west from the stagnant surface to the east. This photo was taken at 2:15 p.m. HST. USGS

On October 19, 2021, the west vent that feeds lava into the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea continues to erupt with 9 m (30 ft) high fountains. Lava within the vent is ponded about 5 m (16 ft) above the lava lake and flows into the lake on through an opening in the cone. This photo was taken at 2 p.m. HST from the south rim of the crater. USGS photo by J.

At 7 p.m. HST on October 19, 2021, the glow from Halema‘uma‘u lava lake colored the gas plume from the erupting west vent red. Meanwhile, the moon was rising in the east, further illuminating the scene above the summit of Kīlauea. The photo was taken from the old crater rim drive on the west side of the crater. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

On October 18, 2021, lava fountaining at the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u was generally a few meters (10 feet) high. However, frequent larger bursts—like the one in this photo—threw lava up to the height of the cone around the vent (approximately 25 meters, or 80 feet, high). With permission, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists continue to monitor the ongoing activity

Lava erupts from the western vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, on October 18, 2021. Activity remains similar to previous days, with lava fountaining occurring through a perched pond within the vent cone and flowing down a short spillway into the lava lake. As lava enters the lake and moves away from the vent, the crust on the surface forms a radial

View of where lava exists the spatter cone at the west vent and flows into the perched lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The silvery lava recently erupted and spreading away from the west vent, while the darker lava at the margin of the lake is cooled and not moving. This photo was taken from the south rim of the crater. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

Overview photo of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake taken on Monday, October 18, 2021, from the western rim of the crater. The western fissure (lower right) continues to erupt lava into the west side of the lava lake (bottom). The east side of the lake (middle) is mostly stagnated and solidified on the surface. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

A telephoto view of where lava exits the spatter cone at the west vent and flows into the perched lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The crustal plates and spreading zones form a complex pattern. This photo was taken from the northwest rim of the crater, in an area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that remains closed to the public due to safety

Fountaining activity was weak on Sunday, October 17, at the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo is from the northwest rim of the caldera, and has a partial view inside the spatter cone. Lava exits the cone via a short spillway. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A telephoto image of the active west vent of Halema‘uma‘u as seen from the south rim. In this photo, spatter from the lava fountain is deposited on the outside margin of the cone. Over time, this deposition is what builds the cone's height. The cone grew 6 m (20 ft) in 24 hours between October 15 and 16, 2021. The lava fountain seen here was measured at 20 m (66 ft) in

The active west vent of Halema‘uma‘u as seen from the northwest rim. The lava at the vent exits from a narrow spillway and feeds into the lake. The radial pattern seen at the mouth of the spillway is created as the lava on the surface cools and is pushed away from the vent, forming a rope-like texture. USGS photo by E. Gallant taken on October 16, 2021.

This overview photo of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake was captured around noon on Friday, October 15, 2021, from the northwest rim of the crater. The western fissure (lower right) continues to erupt lava into the west side of the lava lake (right). The east side of the lake (left) is mostly stagnated and solidified on the surface. The lava lake measures approximately 1,035 m (

In this photo taken during a helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater on October 15, lava can be seen fountaining within the western vent cone and flowing down a short spillway into the lava lake. The main island created in the initial stages of the Dec. 2020–May 2021 eruption is in the foreground and continues to rise with the lake surface. The remains of the west

The eruption within Halema‘uma‘u continues. Lava fountaining from the western vent (center) feeds a rising lava lake. Activity has decreased over the past week and much of the eastern half of the lake surface (seen here in the foreground) has cooled and formed a solid crust. Lava from the active western lake surface occasionally flows over this crust on the north and south

A telephoto image of the the west vent taken on the morning of October 15, during an HVO helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit. Low lava fountaining activity continues from the vent in the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u. The lava within the surrounding spatter cone is ponded at a higher elevation than the lava lake surface (shiny silver texture in foreground).The lava

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists make observations and collect data during Kīlauea eruption overflights. The data collected is used to construct updated topographic and thermal maps of the lava lake surface and surrounding area. By comparing the updated maps to previous maps, scientists will be able to track changes in the volume, surface elevation, eruption

A telephoto view of the west vent supplying lava to the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea summit. In the bottom right, the western fissure complex from the Dec. 2020–May 2021 eruption is visible as a spiny dull dark brown and red feature. The old fissure has been lifted up by the current lava lake, and appears to be floating on the surface (similar to how an iceberg

A close-up view of the west vent on the western crater wall of Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea summit. Fountaining and lava spatter has built a cone around the vent. Lava pools in the cone and then pours into the lava lake through a small spillway. This photo was taken during a monitoring helicopter overflight on October 15, 2021. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

The Kīlauea summit eruption continues within Halema‘uma‘u, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This photo of the lava lake was taken this morning, October 15, 2021, during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory eruption overflight. The vent in the western crater wall (center) continues to supply lava into the lava lake. SO₂ gas emission rates remain elevated and were

Research Vessel Annie and Remotely Operated Vehicle Yogi.  a) R/V Annie on Yellowstone Lake operated by the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration.  Image Rob Harris, OSU.  b) ROV Yogi with GFOE President Dave Lovalvo.  Image Todd Gregory, GFOE.  C) ROV Yogi and 1-m heat flow probe.  This probe is shown swinging from the

A close-up photo of the vent in the western wall of Halema‘uma‘u, taken during the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit. The top of the 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall lava fountain could be seen from the west crater rim on October 14, at 2:05 p.m. The lava fountains continue to build up a spatter cone around the vent. Ponded lava within the cone—which is about 1 m (3 ft) higher than

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Kenna Grubb measuring on the Holston River

A view of the western portion of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo, taken from the west crater rim, shows the active west vent (lower right), the main island (upper left), and the old west vent from the Dec. 2020–May 2021 eruption (lower left). The active west vent continues to supply lava to the growing lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u.

Lava fountains from the western vent within Halema‘uma‘u continue to supply lava into the lava lake through a short spillway. Consistent fountain heights of 10–15 meters (30–50 ft) were interrupted by frequent larger busts of spatter exceeding the height of the cone (30 m or 100 ft). USGS photo taken by B. Carr on October 12, 2021.

Associated with an increase in fountaining activity at the main western vent in Halema‘uma‘u, a short-lived vent opened just to the north (right). Activity at this vent lasted about 10 hours with low-level fountaining about 3 meters (10 ft) high. Large fountaining bursts from the main vent threw lava above the height of the cone (30 meters or 100 ft), depositing spatter on

A wide view of the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit, from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u. A vent on the western crater wall (left) continues to supply lava to the active west half of the lava lake. The west side of the lake is perched above the stagnant eastern (right) lake surface, with several lava overflows advancing over the previously solidified surface crust. USGS

A view of the fountaining at the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The photo was taken from the west rim, looking down upon the vent. Low fountaining and roiling within the cone supplied lava to the lake via a narrow spillway. Lava spreading out into the lake develops a zig-zag pattern in the surface crust. USGS photo by M. Patrick taken on

This zoomed-in view of the northwest side of the main island within the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake shows a "rootless lava flow" (silver) that formed in the early stages of the eruption on September 29, 2021. A rootless lava flow is one that has no physical linkage with its source eruptive vent, because the flow is fed by molten spatter falling onto a solidified surface. In

This zoomed-in view of the western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, was captured on October 11, 2021, through the lens of a laser rangefinder. A prominent horseshoe-shaped spatter cone, measured to be standing 28 m (92 ft) above the adjacent lava lake, surrounds a roiling lava pond which also hosts taller fountains at times. HVO scientists observed

Lava fountaining activity continues from the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u, within Kīlauea summit caldera, viewed at dusk on October 10, 2021, from the west rim of the crater. Only the western half of the lake surface is active; the eastern half is covered by a cooling, solidified crust. USGS image by B. Carr.

Fountaining at the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea volcano's summit, was approximately 15 meters (50 feet) high on the evening of October 10, 2021. Spatter from the fountaining would occasionally land on the wall of the vent cone and cool (visible on the right). Lava exited the pond within the cone and entered the lake through a gap on the eastern side of

HVO scientists captured this zoomed-in photo of the western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u through the lens of a laser rangefinder on October 9, 2021. The fissure has formed a horseshoe-shaped spatter cone around its source, with an opening on the east (right) side allowing lava to flow into the active lava lake. The spatter cone was measured to be standing 30 m (98 ft) tall

USGS scientist takes video of the erupting west vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Photo taken from the northwest rim of Halema‘uma‘u at 12:27 p.m. HST on Oct. 8, 2021. USGS photo by J.M. Chang.

A Koa‘e Kea (white-tailed tropicbird) flies above the erupting west vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Photo taken from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u at 10:41 a.m. HST on Oct. 8, 2021. USGS photo by J.M. Chang. 

Though not every ānuenue (rainbow) has an actively erupting volcanic fissure at its end, this one did for a brief moment during HVO scientists' helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit on the morning of October 8, 2021. Misty rains were clearing at the time, forming the rainbow and allowing the scientists a mostly clear view of the western fissure feeding lava into

On the morning of October 8, 2021, HVO scientists completed a routine helicopter overflight of the ongoing eruption within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. This overview photo of the lava lake was captured from the northeast, with the erupting western fissure in the right of the frame, and a number of islands from the December 2020–May 2021 lava lake visible in the

In this overflight photo of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, captured on October 8, 2021 and looking from the northeast, two western fissures are visible: one inactive from the December 2020–May 2021 Kīlauea summit eruption (center), and another actively feeding lava into the lake at this time (upper-right). The older fissure is is being partially overlapped by short lava flows

A view of the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This photo was taken from the northwest caldera rim, providing a good view inside the cone, as well as a view of the small spillway supplying lava into the lake. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This photo from Thursday, October 7, shows the lava lake near the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The zig zag pattern separating the crustal plates is evident here, as are several spreading zones which cut across the pattern. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Late afternoon sunlight illuminates the main island in the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The island formed in the previous summit eruption (December 2020-May 2021), and was covered with fresh spatter during the opening stages of the current eruption. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The eruption continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit. This view from the southern crater rim shows the west vent fountains (center) supplying lava into the western portion of the lava lake. SO₂ gas emission rates remain elevated, and were measured at 4,700 tonnes per day on October 7. USGS photo taken by L. DeSmither on October 7, 2021.

A wide view of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u, taken from the northwest rim of the crater. The west vent lava fountains (right) continues to supply lava into the slowly rising lava lake. Lava fountaining is no longer visible through the central and southern portions of the lava lake surface. Over the past day or two the surface crust in the north