Images

The new lava lake in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō has buried much of the floor of the August 3, 2011, collapse crater beneath a maximum of about 45 m (~148 ft) of lava. Most of the lava upwells at the east end of the lake (lower right) and flows toward the west, much like the lava lake prior to the August 3 flank breakout and crater collapse.

A different perspective of the perched pond, from the west side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater.

Photo looking southwest at the lava lake in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. Starting by July 25, lava began to exit Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō through a gap in the southwest side of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, and flowed a short distance down Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's flank. By July 29, lava had begun to pond on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's southwest flank, completely filling the Puka Nui and MLK pits.

Another photo of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, this one looking northwest. In addition to flowing out of the crater to the southwest, lava has also been filling in the northeast side of the crater. Lava there is within 6 m (20 ft) of the crater rim. The gas plume from the vent at Kīlauea's summit is in the background.

The lava lake within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō stands higher than the surrounding crater floor. The elevation of the lava lake surface is roughly even with the east rim of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. This photo, from a slightly higher portion of the east rim, looks across the lava lake surface to the opposite lake rim.

This thermal image, looking west, shows the rubble-filled crater of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō in the foreground, with the active flow field in the top half of the image.

This view, looking east, shows the broad area of ponded lava fed by two main channels originating from several individual vents. The fume-filled crater of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is in the background. The darker lava in the foreground, at the bottom of the image, is from the March 2011 Kamoamoa eruption.

When viewed from a steeper angle (here looking west) the lava lake's shape makes it look like a huge slipper. Recent overflows appear as lighter-colored patches of lava on the crater floor around the lake.

View looking east into Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, its crater partly filled by lava flows accumulating on the crater floor. The active lava lake in the crater is 205 m (673 ft) long and varies in width from 80-115 m (262-377 ft). The West Gap pit is in the central foreground, and the Puka Nui and MLK pits are to the right (the MLK pit is in back).

A breach in the south wall of the perched pond allowed lava to gush out onto the floor of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater.

This thermal image, looking southwest, shows the very small flow, at the bottom of the image, active in the bottom of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. In the upper right, the active flows on the lower west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō can be seen.

The new lava lake has become slightly perched above the surrounding crater floor, as shown by the distinct levees visible in this photo.

This photo, similar to the previous, was taken from the same location as photos posted on July 21 and June 9 (and several other dates scattered over the past several months) to provide a comparison to past activity in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

"The great inflated cylinder of black glass which formed over the sunken island, Aug. 18, 1911" (Frank Perret).

Global Positioning System receiver (called a GPS monument) at North Rim Station, a monitoring location at Newberry volcano, Oregon.

Stream channel cross-section measurements—instrument that uses laser pulses to survey distance to a reflector operated by a second crew member, Mount St. Helens.

August 3 photo showing the collapsed floor within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater in the foreground and two lava flow branches each burning some forest—northwest branch to the right and south branch to the left.

Frank Perret's photos from early July 1911 showing the island in the lake at the bottom of a smaller Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The view is looking southwest and the ledge up near the west rim was known as the January 1910 bench, a remnant of an earlier lava level in the crater.

Gas sampling in Sherman Crater, Mount Baker, Washington. Panoramic photograph with USGS scientist in center-left of photo beneath fumarole.

USGS CVO staff member assisting a teacher with mineral identification during July 2011 Mount Rainer Teacher Workshop.

Enthusiastic students during a Mount Rainier Teacher Workshop, Washington.