Images

Map showing Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and the extent of nearby lava flows. The flows of the currently active Episode 61 east flank phase (September 21-ongoing) are the two shades of red—pink is the extent of the flow from September 21 to October 14, and bright red marks flow expansion from October 14 to 25.

View looking east at the east edge of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater (bottom of photo) and the trace of the September 21 fissure (center of photo). The active lava tube carrying lava downslope to the southeast is marked by the line of fume that trends toward the upper right side of the photo.

View to the northwest looking at the active flows (center of photo). Activity over the past few weeks has built a broad, low rootless shield (a shield-shaped mound of lava built on the flow field, not the vent), and there has been little advancement downslope.

View looking southwest at the east flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone is at the top of the photo, and the trace of the September 21 fissure is defined by the line of fume at the center of the photo.

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.

Colonnades in a basaltic lava flow downstream of Boiling Pots on the Wailuku River. Photo courtesy of James Anderson, UH-Hilo.

This thermal image, looking northwest, shows the active flows east of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Bright yellow portions of the image represent areas of active lava. A short channelized flow was active on the upper east flank of the cone, with most activity— comprising pāhoehoe (center of image)—heading southeast.

A close-up of the active pāhoehoe flows.

Map showing the extent of lava flows erupted during Kīlauea's ongoing east rift zone eruption. The areas covered during distinct eruptive phases are shown in unique colors and labeled with the years in which those flows were active.

This photo, looking west, shows the current flows that have erupted on the east side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone is the large fume source in the upper left portion of the photograph, and the current flows are sourced from a fissure extending down its upper east flank. In the left-center of the photograph, the bright patch of lava is active pahoehoe.

Map showing the current configuration of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Old lava flows are shown in colors that match those in the small scale map. The area in dark reddish brown represents the crater-filling lava and overflows of Episode 61 spanning the period from August 20 to September 21.

Close-up of the front of an active pahoehoe flow from this afternoon.

Close-up view of the lava channel on the relatively steep slope of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's east flank.

Lava falls formed at a topographic break in slope near the eastern base o Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The cascade is about 6 m (20 ft) high.

A new fissure opened and began erupting on the east flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō early this morning, feeding channelized ‘A‘ā flow. The fissure—the source of the lava flow—is shown in this image. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone and crater is in the background. View is to the southwest

Close-up aerial view of the head of the erupting fissure. The edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater is at lower right. View is to the east.

Lava channel fed by September 21 fissure eruption coursing down the east flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, and the erupting fissure, is just to the left of top center. The channelized flow initially heads east-northeast, then turns to the southeast. The front of the flow is at the bottom of the image, where it is advancing as an ‘A‘ā flow.

This view is to the east, looking at the western-most erupting part of the fissure. This lava joins with lava erupting from the fissure out of sight below and feeds into the channelized flow visible crossing the through the background of the photo.

Stalled terminus of the ‘A‘ā flow fed by the September 21 fissure eruption.

High aerial view of the active lava channel. The lowest, eastern-most end of the fissure is in view at the bottom of the photo. Rather than feeding the ‘A‘ā flow active for the first couple of days, the flow now is spreading out on the low slope area at the eastern base of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, visible in the top half of the photo.