Images

On the morning of May 9, 2018, a large rockfall in "Overlook crater" within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea triggered a gas-driven explosion that sent an ash plume several thousand feet skyward. Phreatic (steam-driven) explosions can create larger ash plumes; the 1924 explosions sent ash plumes up to 20,000 feet high. USGS photo.

To help us understand what could happen at Kīlauea Volcano's summit, we look to past similar events, but this does not mean that future events will be exactly the same. This map shows the distribution of ballistics and tephra from the 1924 phreatic (steam-driven) explosions.

On May 10, 2018, Highway 130 (shown here) was newly cracked with steam coming up from the east side of the road due to the dike (tabular body of magma) that intruded Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone. The two orange and white road markers are on slightly uplifted areas of the highway, which are about 100 m (330 ft) apart.

A team of USGS scientists work off the R/V Sallenger in Rockaway Beach, New York. One team member stands on a floating sled that enables sub‐bottom surveying in shallow water, nearshore, and shore‐face environments. The sled is equipped with an EdgeTech SB‐512i CHIRP system and single‐beam sonar.

USGS scientists measure beach elevation and other profile characteristics as part of a project that models how barrier islands will likely change with sea-level rise - and how those changes will ultimately affect piping plover and other shorebird nesting habitat availability.

A researcher holds a cinnamon teal duck wearing a GPS tracker

Scientists collect cores on Lake Drummond, located within the Great Dismal Swamp.

Michael Toomey, Jessica Rodysill, and Tom Sheehan collect sediment cores from Lake Drummond, located within the Great Dismal Swamp. The cores were obtained using a vibracore, which was mounted on a platform between two canoes. 

Established in 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) provides data on coral-growth (calcification) rates throughout the Florida Keys. Pictured here is one of 30 stations located in in Dry Tortugas National Park.

On the morning of May 9, 2018, a large rockfall in "Overlook crater" within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea triggered a gas-driven explosion that sent an ash plume several thousand feet skyward. Phreatic (steam-driven) explosions can create larger ash plumes; the 1924 explosions sent ash plumes up to 20,000 feet high.

Photograph of Lake Drummond, which is located within the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia. USGS scientists recently collected peat and lake core samples from the swamp to help reconstruct natural environmental conditions over the past 12,000 years.

This is a group shot of the North American National Mapping Meeting more information can be found at the website on the meeting

HVO geologist measured a temperature of 103 degrees C (218 degree F) at a crack along Nohea Street, Leilani Estates. The asphalt road was describes as "mushy" from the heat.

Kanakee River at Davis, IN - downstream of channel

Kankakee River at Davis, IN - downstream channel

This map shows the locations of fissures and an 'a'ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 5:30 p.m. HST, May 9. Note the area of heavy steaming from ground cracks that began earlier this afternoon, located west of Highway 130. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

This map shows the locations of fissures and an ‘A‘ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 7:00 p.m. HST, May 8. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Measuring streamflow on St.Regis River at St Regis

This is a wide panarama shot of the North American National Mapping Meeting more information can be found at the website on the meeting

Peak-flow measurement at Flathead River at Flathead, British Columbia

Severe ground cracks associated with fissure 14 in Leilani Estates.