Multimedia Gallery

A helicopter overflight on September 23, 2020, provided airborne views of the water lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. Visual and thermal images collected during the overflight are used for mapping the slowly enlarging lake. A segment of the video shows the remains of Crater Rim Drive, a portion of which collapsed during the 2018 summit activity. USGS video by M.

The color zones on the lake surface shift from minute to minute. This video shows how the color zones were creating a large swirl in the lake center. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This timelapse video shows approximately 45 minutes of activity in the water lake at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The video shows that the color zones are highly dynamic, shifting from minute to minute. This behavior has been common in the lake during much of the past year. Note that the camera exposure changes several times, shifting the color slightly at times. USGS

This time-lapse movie, which spans January 2019 to August 2020, shows the changing nature of the seasons at Yellowstone Lake as captured by the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory webcam. Snow and ice come and go, and there is even a wildfire visible during the summer of 2019!
 

This timelapse video at Kīlauea's summit covers approximately 30 minutes and shows the dynamic nature of the water lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Steam from the hot water surface is constantly shifting in the winds, while the migrating color boundaries on the water surface appear to show circulation in the lake. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This thermal video shows typical activity at Kīlauea's summit water lake. Steam carried across the water surface often masks thermal features on the underlying water surface. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This wide-angle video was captured during a helicopter overflight on May 29, and skirts the southern border of Halema‘uma‘u crater. The water lake, filling the bottom of the crater, was tan and brown today, and showed no significant changes. USGS video by M. Patrick.

A small rockslide occurred today on the south wall of Halema‘uma‘u, sending boulders into the water at the bottom of the crater. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This timelapse sequence shows the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u Crater, at Kīlauea's summit, between November 1, 2019, and March 26, 2020. Over this time the water level rose approximately 14 meters (46 feet), equivalent to 67 cm (about 2 feet) per week. The timelapse shows one image per day (with a few cloudy images removed), and is looped several times.

Stormy weather moved through the islands over the past day, producing snow at the higher elevations of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. This sequence shows the webcam images at the summit of Mauna Loa, and the variable weather throughout the day.

Tall and contiguous coastal dunes can substantially mitigate storm surge and flooding near our coasts. Understanding the position and height of dunes, as well as how these features change over time, is critical to the USGS mission of predicting impacts to coastal infrastructure and habitat caused by storms and hurricanes. To this end, the USGS operates a number of small

This thermal video of the fissure 8 cone shows that small areas of higher temperatures (greater than 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit) are present on the cone. Those hotter areas likely represent residual heat in the cone and the underlying fissure. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This video clip shows a flyover of fissure 8 on Jan. 21. During the 2018 eruption, lava spilled out from the cone into a channel that extended towards the north. Lava traveled approximately 13 km (8 miles) to reach the ocean at Kapoho Bay. USGS video by M. Patrick.

This timelapse sequence shows two hours of activity at the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit. Flow is evident along the sharp orange color boundary in the center of the pond, as well as along portions of the shoreline. The pond is 189 m (650 ft) long. The vido was taken on the eastern rim.

In this video, you can hear the honks and quacks of geese and ducks ring through the air, as birds fly in every direction above a wetland. This video was captured at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in November 2019, not long after geese and ducks began to arrive to spend the winter in the California Central Valley.

This video shows another view of the unmanned aircraft system sampling water from Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by C. Parcheta, 26 Oct 2019.

This video shows a close-up of the unmanned aircraft system collecting a water sample in Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019.

This video shows the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) collecting a water sample from Halema‘uma‘u. This wider view shows the scale of the UAS relative to the water pond. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019.

This thermal video was captured by the UAS as it collected a water sample in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit.

This video was captured by the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) as it collected a water sample in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit. Limited UAS flights in this area are conducted with permission and coordination with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The information is used to assess hazards at Kīlauea's summit, and is shared with the National Park Service and emergency

In this October 26 reconnaissance survey, the Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) reaches the northeast part of the Halema‘uma‘u crater lake, where large rocks at the lake margin are often used to visually track the rising water level. Taken over a period of about 5.5 minutes, the survey is shown at 3 times the speed it was filmed. Limited UAS flights into this hazardous area

The Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) that collected water from the crater lake in Halema‘uma‘u on October 26 was outfitted with both visual and infrared (thermal) cameras. This reconnaissance video shows fumarolic activity on the walls of the crater. Fumaroles appear light in color (yellow and white) in the visual imagery due to alteration of the crater wall rock. In the

Prior to the Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) mission that collected a water sample from Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit on October 26, reconnaissance UAS missions were flown. This video, taken over a period of 15 minutes, has been sped up 7 times to show the UAS as it approaches Halema‘uma‘u from the southwest. The UAS reaches the northeast portion of the lake, surveys

This timelapse video covers 1.5 hours and shows the motion of the water surface at the summit of Kīlauea. Along the shoreline, areas of apparent water influx are visible, often with a slightly greener color. Shifting steam on the surface attests to the high temperature of the water and the winds at the bottom of the crater. The contrast has been enhanced to highlight the

Each year the State of California promotes a ShakeOut event where local citizens practice earthquake response and preparedness. This video shows footage from the 2019 Great California ShakeOut, which was hosted at Biola University in La Mirenda, CA. Video includes footage of the initial ShakeAlert announcement that blared across campus. Additional footage includes first

Retired seismologist David Oppenheimer reflects on the first prototype earthquake early warning system used during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Scientists deployed an analog system to notify first responders of impending earthquake activity as they worked on rescue efforts at the Cypress Viaduct collapse in Oakland, CA.
 

This timelapse video covers about 30 minutes of activity at the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. Water appears to be flowing into the pond from several locations, including the southern boundary (right side in this image). A small amount of material is also seen floating on the surface at the eastern end of the pond (top of image). The video is shown

This time-lapse video shows circulation in the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u over a period of about 25 minutes. There appears to be an influx of water along the southern (right) shoreline. A broader eastward flow of water (toward top of image) is evident. The video is shown twice. USGS video.

Views of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u on Friday, September 6, and Monday, September 9 are shown in this video. Ripples are evident on the pond, presumably due to wind moving over the water surface. No significant changes in the pond were observed over the weekend, and the water level continues to slowly rise. USGS video by M. Patrick.

Shown at 30x speed, this video highlights changing activity on the surface of the water pond. Steam wafting above the pond shifts in the wind, and circulation of the water is evident in areas of sharp color boundaries. USGS video by M. Patrick, 09-17-2019.

This video was taken during the SW1321 training course, Streamflow Measurements Using ADCPs. On this field day, students from all over the USGS used their newfound knowledge to collect ADCP data in Windham, Maine.
 

Setting sail from Woods Hole, MA to Cape Cod Bay aboard the R/V Warren Jr. USGS scientific staff will define the geologic framework of Cape Cod Bay to aid the state of Massachusetts in management and assessment of resources and hazards.
 

This sequence captured on August 31 begins with a close-up of the fumaroles on the north side of Halema‘uma‘u, then shows a broader view of the crater with the water pond at the bottom and a close-up of steaming and ripples on the water surface. USGS video by M. Patrick, 08-31-2019.

Another day of clear weather provided good views of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. No significant changes were observed, and the thermal camera showed the water surface is still about 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit). USGS video by M. Patrick.

Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō remains quiet. Clear weather during HVO's August 22 overflight provided good views into the drained crater. Rubble from crater wall collapses has filled in much of the deeper part of the crater, with the bottom now at about 250 meters (820 feet) below the east rim. The curvature of the horizon is caused by the wide-angle view of the camera. USGS video by M.

Clear weather afforded good views of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u. No major changes were observed in the pond, but the water continues to slowly rise. The water surface was steaming, and its temperature was approximately 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit). For scale, the pond is about 70 meters (230 feet) long. USGS video by M. Patrick.

Massachusetts student intern Michael Upton placing a new survey reference marker at a live recording groundwater well station.
 

Recorded June 1, 2019 - August 18, 2019: Video shows a series of photos taken every hour during daylight hours in the summer of 2019. The camera looks westward along the coastal bluffs of Barter Island, located on Alaska’s North Slope. A pole on the bluff, visible in the first half of the video, once supported another video camera that was aimed at the

This video shows a close-up of the water pond at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u on August 13, 2019. Steaming from the water surface shows the shifting winds over the pond.

This video shows a close-up of the ponded water at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by M. Patrick, 08-09-2019.

This video shows a close-up of the ponded water at the bottom of Halema'uma'u. Yesterday, the separate ponds joined into a single elongate pond. The water level has continued to slowly rise.

This video shows steaming from the main pond of water at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u as captured on Sunday, August 4. Two smaller areas of ponded water were present a short distance east of this spot. Thermal images indicate that the water surface is roughly 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit). USGS video by M. Patrick, 08-04-2019.

This video shows steaming from the main pond of water at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u as captured on Sunday, August 4. Two smaller areas of ponded water were present a short distance east of this spot. Thermal images indicate that the water surface is roughly 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit). USGS video by M. Patrick, 08-04-2019.

This is b-roll footage of a ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system seismic station. These seismic stations and sensors are deployed around California and are used to monitor earthquake activity.
 

This video shows Moku‘āweoweo, the caldera at the summit of Mauna Loa, during a routine overflight. The flight path goes from northeast to southwest, and begins at North Pit crater before crossing over the main caldera floor. In the southwest portion of the caldera floor, the 1940 and 1949 cones can be seen. The video ends as the helicopter flies over South Pit, at the

This timelapse sequence of webcam images over a 24-hour period shows a typical day at the summit of Mauna Loa. The webcam (MLcam) is located on the northeast rim of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera. This sequence begins in the dark, with the moon rising (white dot at left in images), then brightens as the sun rises. Clear skies in the morning shift to cloudy

In the Arctic, rivers are often thought to freeze completely during winter. Since fish need liquid water to survive, there are few places where they can live. Fish usually inhabit deep river channels and areas where springwater enters a stream. However, this video shows that winter habitat occurs in places we didn't expect, below the ice in the delta of a shallow river.