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Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 31, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 31, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Helicopter overflight shows advancing lobes from fissure 8 (fissure 8 is not pictured but located to the right, out of view). Advance rates were less than 100 yards per hour for the three lobes of the flow, as measured during the overnight hours.
Helicopter overflight shows advancing lobes from fissure 8 (fissure 8 is not pictured but located to the right, out of view). Advance rates were less than 100 yards per hour for the three lobes of the flow, as measured during the overnight hours.
Crews make visual observations of activity at fissure 8 around 5:30 a.m. HST. Fountain heights this morning continue to reach 70 to 80 m (230 to 260 ft) above ground level.
Crews make visual observations of activity at fissure 8 around 5:30 a.m. HST. Fountain heights this morning continue to reach 70 to 80 m (230 to 260 ft) above ground level.
Lava from fissure 18 travels to the southeast (lower left of photo). The flow front that had approached the ocean yesterday has stalled. This view is looking uprift, with fissure 8 in the distance (upper right of photo).
Lava from fissure 18 travels to the southeast (lower left of photo). The flow front that had approached the ocean yesterday has stalled. This view is looking uprift, with fissure 8 in the distance (upper right of photo).
Lava from fissure 8 advances on Kahukai Street. Lava in this area is as much as 3.5 yards in height.
Lava from fissure 8 advances on Kahukai Street. Lava in this area is as much as 3.5 yards in height.
This long thin, strand of volcanic glass is called Pele's hair. Named for Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele's hair is formed from lava fountains and rapidly moving lava flows. This strand of Pele’s hair was found on Kupono Street in Leilani Estates, Hawaii, during the Kīlauea volcano eruption.
This long thin, strand of volcanic glass is called Pele's hair. Named for Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele's hair is formed from lava fountains and rapidly moving lava flows. This strand of Pele’s hair was found on Kupono Street in Leilani Estates, Hawaii, during the Kīlauea volcano eruption.
Map as of 3:00 p.m. HST, May 30, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Map as of 3:00 p.m. HST, May 30, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 30, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted—and could have changed rapidly since that time.
Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 30, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted—and could have changed rapidly since that time.
Views Kīlauea's summit were often obscured by fog and rain today, but a break in the weather around 2:00 p.m. HST allowed HVO's webcam to capture this image of the gas and steam plume being emitted from Halema‘uma‘u.
Views Kīlauea's summit were often obscured by fog and rain today, but a break in the weather around 2:00 p.m. HST allowed HVO's webcam to capture this image of the gas and steam plume being emitted from Halema‘uma‘u.
Views Kīlauea's summit were often obscured by fog and rain today, but a break in the weather around 2:00 p.m. HST allowed HVO's webcam to capture this image of the gas and steam plume being emitted from Halema‘uma‘u.
Views Kīlauea's summit were often obscured by fog and rain today, but a break in the weather around 2:00 p.m. HST allowed HVO's webcam to capture this image of the gas and steam plume being emitted from Halema‘uma‘u.
USGS scientist Chuck Henny holds osprey
USGS scientist Todd Preston using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). USGS is actively exploring the use of small unmanned aerial system (aka drones) for scientific data collection and testing whether or not they are useful in monitoring wildlife.
USGS scientist Todd Preston using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). USGS is actively exploring the use of small unmanned aerial system (aka drones) for scientific data collection and testing whether or not they are useful in monitoring wildlife.
A weather station located in a sagebrush ecosystem in southwest Montana—a major ecosystem type managed by the Bureau of Land Management
A weather station located in a sagebrush ecosystem in southwest Montana—a major ecosystem type managed by the Bureau of Land Management
Well CH 10 is part of a Pennsylvania groundwater quality monitoring network and is in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Well CH 10 is part of a Pennsylvania groundwater quality monitoring network and is in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
During a National Water Quality Network (NWQN) sampling trip in May to the St Lawrence River, Hydrologic Technician Dave Knauer finds a batch of Zebra mussels attached to the boat anchor.
During a National Water Quality Network (NWQN) sampling trip in May to the St Lawrence River, Hydrologic Technician Dave Knauer finds a batch of Zebra mussels attached to the boat anchor.
Map as of 6:00 p.m. HST, May 29, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted—and could have changed rapidly since that time.
Map as of 6:00 p.m. HST, May 29, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted—and could have changed rapidly since that time.
Fissure 8 reactivated on the afternoon of May 28, when, at times, lava fountains were reaching heights of 200 feet and feeding a lava flow&
Fissure 8 reactivated on the afternoon of May 28, when, at times, lava fountains were reaching heights of 200 feet and feeding a lava flow&
This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Italian Space Agency's Cosmo-SkyMed satellite system. The series shows changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred over May 5 at 6:12 a.m. HST, May 17 at 6:12 a.m.
This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Italian Space Agency's Cosmo-SkyMed satellite system. The series shows changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred over May 5 at 6:12 a.m. HST, May 17 at 6:12 a.m.
Tephra (airborne lava fragments) erupted by the high lava fountains of fissure 8 was carried downwind, where the frothy rock fragments fell on Leilani Street, just past Kupono Street, in the Leilani Estates subdivision.
Tephra (airborne lava fragments) erupted by the high lava fountains of fissure 8 was carried downwind, where the frothy rock fragments fell on Leilani Street, just past Kupono Street, in the Leilani Estates subdivision.
Scientists on the early morning overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone documented a very weak ocean entry. For the easternmost lobe, only a few small finger channels of lava were entering the ocean.
Scientists on the early morning overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone documented a very weak ocean entry. For the easternmost lobe, only a few small finger channels of lava were entering the ocean.