Images

The western branch of the coastal plain flow field is inflated and more active than the eastern branch. Here, a breakout from a tumulus feeds a ropey pahoehoe flow. The fume in the background on the pali marks the lava flow activity that is feeding the coastal breakouts.

Thomas A. Jaggar founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912 and served as its Director until 1940. Shown here in 1925, Jaggar is at work in HVO's first building, which, at the time, was located on the northeast rim of Kīlauea Volcano's summit caldera, near the present-day Volcano House hotel.

Halema‘uma‘u plume captures the sun in the early morning, creating a picturesque sight.

Halema‘uma‘u plume, just minutes after it turns from bright white to reddish-brown. Notice the contrast from bright white in the sky to reddish-brown near the vent.

With stagnant winds present, Halema‘uma‘u plume stands straight up, showing off the distant, but bright, full moon.

Ash-laden Halema‘uma‘u plume captures the rainbow in the early morning light. Photo taken from Steaming Bluffs.

Lava flows creep through the Royal Gardens subdivision on February 24, 2012, slowly burying the few remaining forested kipuka.

Higher up on the flow field, fume marks the trace of the lava tube. In the lower left portion of the photograph, a glowing skylight can be seen. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is visible near the top of the photo.

This thermal image, looking west, shows the meager activity out on the flow field today, due to an ongoing deflation event at the summit. On the coastal plain, the red and orange areas depict flows that have been active over the past two weeks, but are now stalled.

Map showing the extent of lava flows erupted during Kīlauea's ongoing east rift zone eruption and labeled with the years in which they were active.

Map showing the extent of lava flows erupted during Kīlauea's ongoing east rift zone eruption and labeled with the years in which they were active.

This panorama, taken from the eastern rim of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, shows the broken, jumbled crater floor. In the right portion of the photograph, near the northeast rim of the crater, a collapsed cone hosted a small roiling lava pond today.

An HVO geologist sets up a webcam to monitor active flows on the coastal plain.

A small pāhoehoe lobe slowly flows into a crack on the flow field.

pāhoehoe flows remain active on the upper coastal plain, extending a few hundred meters out from the base of the pali. The activity today was relatively sluggish, likely because of a recent deflation phase at the summit.

A) Example of an ashmeter deployed in the backyard of Rodrigo Ruiz on January 14, 2012 (Pillate); B) An example of a thin (1.1 mm-thick) deposit collected March 14, 2012 in Pillate, from the February 4, 2012 eruption. From Bernard (2013).

pāhoehoe flows were active on the coastal plain today, but extended only about 400 m (440 yards) out from the base of the pali. These flows have about 2.8 km (1.7 miles) more to travel to reach the ocean. Farther up the hill, on the steep lower portion of the pali, several active ‘A‘ā cascades are visible.

Volcano monitoring stations must be designed to withstand harsh winter conditions.

USGS scientist repairs the Loowit AFM station above Loowit Falls.

Volcanically-heated water of Loowit Creek flows from Mount St. Helens' crater through Loowit Channel.

Southerly winds afforded a rare view of the south side of the Overlook vent in Halema‘uma‘u Crater, within Kīlauea's caldera. The collapse crater that defines the opening of the vent is about 160 m (~525 ft) across and 80 m (~260 ft) deep. The fence for the old tourist overlook is faintly visible at the upper right side of the photo.