Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Images

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.

Filter Total Items: 21364
A dark ash plume rising from a crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater

At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.

At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.

Aerial view of the ash plume
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)

At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.

At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.

Ash plume rises in the distance over a golf course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course

Ash plume viewed from the Volcano Golf Course near Volcano, Hawai‘i. This view is nearly due north of the Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Ash plume rising from a crater
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert

At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.

At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.

WFRC nPCR test for detection of Rs
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Agarose gel electrophoresis is used for size separation and visualization of amplified DNA sequences.

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Agarose gel electrophoresis is used for size separation and visualization of amplified DNA sequences.

WFRC nPCR test for detection of Rs
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Following two rounds of PCR amplification, samples are pipetted into an agarose gel for electrophoresis.

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Following two rounds of PCR amplification, samples are pipetted into an agarose gel for electrophoresis.

Electrical Barrier blocking sea lamprey in Black Mallard River
An Electrical Barrier used to block sea lamprey, Black Mallard River
An Electrical Barrier used to block sea lamprey, Black Mallard River
Aerial view of a fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure

At 8:44 a.m., HST. Aerial view of the active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure 17 (the fissure's low lava fountains can be seen in middle of photo). Highway 132 can be seen on right side of photograph. View is toward the west.

At 8:44 a.m., HST. Aerial view of the active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure 17 (the fissure's low lava fountains can be seen in middle of photo). Highway 132 can be seen on right side of photograph. View is toward the west.

Aerial view of a fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — continues down slope
Fissure 17 — continues down slope
Fissure 17 — continues down slope

At 2:30 p.m. HST, the flow front of Fissure 17 continues down slope. The barren, brown area to the right in the photograph is a lobe of the Kii Flow from the eruption of 1955. The Fissure 17 flow front is located approximately .7 miles makai of Highway 132 and is 1.4 miles mauka of Hwy 137.

At 2:30 p.m. HST, the flow front of Fissure 17 continues down slope. The barren, brown area to the right in the photograph is a lobe of the Kii Flow from the eruption of 1955. The Fissure 17 flow front is located approximately .7 miles makai of Highway 132 and is 1.4 miles mauka of Hwy 137.

Aerial view of erupting fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — early morning view
Fissure 17 — early morning view
Fissure 17 — early morning view

7:00 a.m., HST. An early morning view of fissure 17, still erupting and supplying lava to a flow that was still advancing (out of view). View is looking toward the east.

7:00 a.m., HST. An early morning view of fissure 17, still erupting and supplying lava to a flow that was still advancing (out of view). View is looking toward the east.

Aerial view of a fissure with steam jet appearing
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears

Around 2:30 p.m. HST, a steam jet appears on fissure 17, above the area with active fountaining. Steam jets at this location were repeating about once a minute.

Around 2:30 p.m. HST, a steam jet appears on fissure 17, above the area with active fountaining. Steam jets at this location were repeating about once a minute.

Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak

Examples of glide avalanches on Heaven's Peak, Glacier National Park.

Giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)
Threatened Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)
Threatened Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)
Threatened Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)

Threatened giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas). This semi-aquatic snake lives in rice fields and the remaining wetlands of California's Central Valley.

Threatened giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas). This semi-aquatic snake lives in rice fields and the remaining wetlands of California's Central Valley.

employee in cable car
Cable Car
Cable Car
Cable Car

USGS staff member positioned in a cable car, ready to collect streamflow data on Pine Creek near Pinedale, Wyoming.

USGS staff member positioned in a cable car, ready to collect streamflow data on Pine Creek near Pinedale, Wyoming.

Orange spray paint on cracks in roadway
Fissure 17 — Marking cracks in roadway
Fissure 17 — Marking cracks in roadway
Fissure 17 — Marking cracks in roadway

At 10:31 a.m. HST. Cracks on Hwy 132 marked with orange spray paint to track changes through time.

Aerial view of a fissure erupting lava
Fissure 17 — slow sticky a'a flow emerges
Fissure 17 — slow sticky a'a flow emerges
Fissure 17 — slow sticky a'a flow emerges

At 8:00 a.m. HST. A slow sticky a'a flow emerges from a new fissure just over a half mile northeast of the end of Hinalo Street. The new fissure - fissure 17 - is about one half mile south of Hwy 132. Some reports have referred to this fissure as number 18 but that is not correct. Fissure 18 had not erupted by this time.

At 8:00 a.m. HST. A slow sticky a'a flow emerges from a new fissure just over a half mile northeast of the end of Hinalo Street. The new fissure - fissure 17 - is about one half mile south of Hwy 132. Some reports have referred to this fissure as number 18 but that is not correct. Fissure 18 had not erupted by this time.

Aerial view of a fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 18 - small outbreak
Fissure 18 - small outbreak
Fissure 18 - small outbreak

At 2:00 p.m. HST. This photo reveals a small pad of lava between Fissures 16 and 17 which did not appear in photos of the same scene taken this morning. (Red arrow points to the lava pad.) From the photo it appears that this fissure had stagnated. We have designated this small outbreak as Fissure 18.

At 2:00 p.m. HST. This photo reveals a small pad of lava between Fissures 16 and 17 which did not appear in photos of the same scene taken this morning. (Red arrow points to the lava pad.) From the photo it appears that this fissure had stagnated. We have designated this small outbreak as Fissure 18.

Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures, May 13 at 9:00 a.m. HST...
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures, May 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures, May 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures, May 13 at 9:00 a.m.

Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 13, shows the location of fissure 17, which opened this morning at approximately 4:30 a.m. HST. NOTE: This new fissure was initially referred to as fissure 18 in early reports, but that is incorrect (what was called fissure 17 yesterday did not erupt lava, so this morning's erupting fissure is actually 17).

Map as of 9:00 a.m. HST, May 13, shows the location of fissure 17, which opened this morning at approximately 4:30 a.m. HST. NOTE: This new fissure was initially referred to as fissure 18 in early reports, but that is incorrect (what was called fissure 17 yesterday did not erupt lava, so this morning's erupting fissure is actually 17).

New HBBS Laboratory Building
The new Hammond Bay Biological Station laboratory building
The new Hammond Bay Biological Station laboratory building
Was this page helpful?