Images

Aerial view of an open channel west of Kapoho Crater. According to geologists flying over the area, the flow appeared be the result of draining from the upslope channel; no discernible movement was observed.

Two pie charts, showing total water withdrawals (fresh and saline), and saline water withdrawals, for certain categories of water use, for year 2015.

USGS scientists Mayumi Arimitsu and John Piatt deploy a mid-water trawl to collect forage fish and zooplankton in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

USGS scientists John Piatt and Mayumi Arimitsu process the catch from a mid-water trawl to collect forage fish and zooplankton in Cook Inlet, Alaska.

View of growing Halema‘uma‘u from the southeast side of Kīlauea Crater.

This thermal map shows the fissure system and lava flows as of 12:30 pm on Friday, August 3. The fountain at Fissure 8 remains active, with the lava flow entering the ocean. The dominant ocean entry points were on the section of coastline near Ahalanui. The black and white area is the extent of the thermal map.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews take measurements and observations of the fissure 8 cone, in the Leilani Estates subdivision. Today, occasional bursts of spatter splashed over south rim of the cone, sending spatter down south flank of the cone almost to its base.

Early morning photo of Halema‘uma‘u, taken from the eastern rim. Inward slumping of the rim and walls of the crater continues. Ash from previous collapse events is remobilized by the wind, as pictured in the center left of the photo in the distance.

An adult, female northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) flies overhead in Suisun Marsh, CA. Before habitat loss drove declines in the bird's populations, Suisun Marsh hosted the state's largest population of northern harriers.

An adult male Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) surveys Suisun Marsh, CA. Males are known for their beautiful, steel-gray plumage.

Aerial view of Isaac Hale Beach Park. The westernmost ocean entry is overriding lava flows that entered the area last week.

A Federally endangered salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) climbs a branch.

The fissure 8 vent (far distance, upper right) continues to feed an active lava channel on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone, shown here on July 26, 2018.

Rockfalls occur regularly around the Kīlauea Caldera during summit collapse events. This photograph shows rocks falling from the cliffs below Uēkahuna Bluff just after the 11:55 a.m. collapse today.

An aerial view of Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken on August 1.

Map as of 10:00 a.m. HST, August 3, 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.

Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) nestlings in Suisun Marsh, CA. Northern harriers are considered a "species of concern" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, due to their declining populations.

Then and now. It has proven difficult to exactly match past and present views of Kīlauea's summit to show the dramatic changes in the volcanic landscape, but here's our latest attempt. At left is a photo taken on November 28, 2008, with a distinct gas plume rising from the vent that had opened within Halema‘uma‘u about eight months earlier.

This Hawai‘i County Fire Department aerial image shows Kapoho Crater with the most active branch of the fissure 8 lava channel now to the west (right) of the cone and feeding a robust ocean entry.

These tree cores, taken from living trees with an increment borer, show the rings of the tree and allow scientists to learn about the tree's growth.

Aerial view toward the southwest of the ‘a‘ā lava flows along the coast. Plumes of laze along the broad ocean entry flow front are near the former Ahalanui Beach Park.