Images

Left: Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr., members of NASA's third team of moon explorers, carried cameras, communications equipment, and an Apollo Lunar Hand Tools scoop during a simulation of a lunar traverse at Kīlauea Volcano in December 1969.

This small-scale map shows Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow field in relation to the southeastern part of the Island of Hawai?i. The area of the active flow field as of January 12 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as of February 16 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray.

An FTIR instrument is set up on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater to measure volcanic gases from the summit lava lake. The open-path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer continuously measures the gases in a volcanic plume, measuring the relative abundance of each.

A telephoto view of the east lake margin showed that the spattering was focused in small embayments created by promontories of cooled, congealed lava jutting from the vent wall.

At times, spattering along the east lake margin reached heights of 6-9 m (20-30 ft), as shown in this telephoto image.

View of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u Crater from the FTIR spectrometer monitoring location. At Hawaiian volcanoes, magma ascends from the mantle more than 60 km (about 40 mi) below the surface, to a reservoir less than 2 km (about 1.2 mi) deep. As the pressure decreases, the gases dissolved in the magma bubble out and escape.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory office building is located on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

At the coast, the lava flow in the Ahalanui area remains less than 0.1 miles from the Pohoiki boat ramp (left of center in this photo) in Isaac Hale Park. The active ocean entry is a few hundred yards east (right) of this photograph.

Today, Kīlauea Volcano's summit lava lake level was 21 m (69 ft) below the vent rim. A long stretch of active spattering was visible along the east lake margin from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater, an area that remains closed to the public due to ongoing hazards. The usual spatter source to the southeast was small by comparison.

HVO's geochemist uses a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) instrument to track volcanic gases emitted from the lava lake with Halema‘uma‘u Crater. These measurements help detect changes in gas composition, which can provide insight into the inner workings of Kīlauea Volcano.

The 61g flow breakout that started on February 10 on Pulama Pali was still active today. The flow front (shown here) is approximately 2.3 km (1.4 mi) from the base of the pali and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) from the ocean. The flow front is on the eastern side of the 61g flow field, and is outside the National Park boundary.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is located in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park adjacent to Jaggar Museum.

NASA ER-2 aircrafts have played an important role in Earth science research because of their ability to fly into the lower stratosphere at subsonic speeds, enabling virtual satellite simulation missions.

A telephoto lens captures a closer view of the Kamokuna "firehose flow."

Photo looking toward the public viewing area (arrow) from near the ocean entry.

Photo of the upper portion of the "firehose" taken with a telephoto lens as the lava exits the 61g flow lava tube. There is no sign of a lava delta rebuilding as the lava continues to spill into the ocean.

VIDEO: Kīlauea Volcano's Kamokuna ocean entry. Today, the "firehose flow" could be clearly seen from the public lava viewing area, 800 meters (about one-half mile) east of the ocean entry, in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

The "firehose flow" at Kīlauea Volcano's Kamokuna ocean entry was clearly visible from the public lava viewing area established by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The viewing area is 800 meters (about one-half mile) from the ocean entry, but affords excellent views of the lava flow.

Close up view of the Pele's hair and Limu o Pele that blankets the sea cliff around the Kamokuna ocean entry. The coverage is especially thick in the areas downwind of the ocean entry which may make it difficult to see all areas of extended cracks.

The gentle slope of Mauna Loa as seen from the flanks of Mauna Kea to the north. Younger lava flows appear dark on the volcano's flank, and clouds rest in the eastern saddle between the two volcanoes.

HVO geologists hiked to the Kamokuna ocean entry today to assess the status of the sea cliff. When they arrived, the "firehose" flow was no longer visible. However, spatter (bits of molten lava) and black sand flying through the steam plume indicated that lava was still flowing into the ocean and interacting explosively with seawater.