Images

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists flew over the Sulphur Banks area and Ha‘akulamanu trail within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on September 23, 2020. Fumaroles in the Sulphur Banks area are sampled approximately every three months by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemists to track long-term changes in volcanic gas chemistry at Kīlauea.

Portions of Crater Rim Drive, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, appear cracked, offset, and down-dropped in this photo, taken during an overflight of Kīlauea’s summit on September 23, 2020. To the north, Kīlauea’s summit water lake, within Halema‘uma‘u, is visible. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

The weather was overcast during an overflight of Kīlauea's summit on September 23, 2020. This view shows Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) and the Steam Vents area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Extensive cracks in the area allow heated groundwater to escape from underground.

An HVO geophysicist takes a gravity measurement at a benchmark near a continuous gravimeter (inside hutch). The continuous gravimeter takes gravity measurements once per second and relays the data via radio back to HVO. During the gravity survey on September 23, 2020, HVO scientists took measurements at multiple locations on the floor of Kīlauea caldera.

Color variations are common at Kīlauea's summit water lake, and are usually dominated by tan and brown hues. Today, the interaction between different color zones produced a large swirl in the center of the lake.

Map of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s current camera network coverage.   Lava-flow hazard zone 1 is outlined in yellow.   Color-shaded areas are visible to at least one camera in the current network.  We would like to expand the network so that it covers the grey-shaded areas in zone 1 as well.  If your property has a good view

The inside of a borehole seismometer equipment enclosure is full of batteries, cables, data communications equipment and data recording instruments.  Some of the geodetic infrastructure in Yellowstone National Park is colocated with seismic equipment.  In this case, the communications downlink radio for the GNSS station is housed with the borehole enc

GNSS site LKWY, which was visited in September 2020 to install new GNSS equipment and upgrade the communications for improved data quality.  The site is now capable of collecting several times more observation data then was possible with the original older equipment.

View of Absaroka Range from Eagle Peak, WY, toward the southwest.

On the surface of Kīlauea's new landscape, a story is told

The Upper Geyser Basin viewed from the Old Faithful webcam. Hot water was piped from Solitary Geyser to the former site of the geyser bathhouse.

Shaded relief map based on high-resolution topographic data from lidar and showing subtle terraces on the north side of Yellowstone Lake (a few example terraces are marked by yellow arrows and traced by dashed and dotted white lines).

Map of thermal areas in Yellowstone (red), as well as lakes (outlined in blue), many of which have thermal areas on their shores or beneath their surfaces.

High-resolution images of Fern Lake from different seasons.  North is up.  Fern Lake is about 1 km across from east to west.  Red arrows in the winter image point to large zones of open water, indicating either nearshore springs or underwater hydrothermal vents, but there are also many smaller zones of open water that are conspicuous. 

On September 3, USGS HVO geologists visited fissure 7 of Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Geologists investigated and documented vent features, and collected samples for ongoing analyses of 2018 eruption dynamics. Fountains from fissure 7 left a hole over the vent area.

Photo of Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption fissure 7, from Hookupu street and looking west. The rampart is surrounded by fissure 8 lava. This view is of the back side of the rampart; lava fountains erupted on the opposite side of the rampart. 

View of the front side of fissure 7 rampart, erupted during Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Red oxidation is present in lower layers within the rampart. Golden shelly pāhoehoe from fissure 8 surrounds the rampart. 

On September 3, USGS HVO geologists also visited fissure 21 of Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Geologists investigated and documented vent features, and collected samples for ongoing analyses of 2018 eruption dynamics. View of fissure 21 from the northeast. A small hole has formed from collapse of the rampart.

View of the 2018 Kīlauea caldera collapse structures from Kīlauea Overlook within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by K. Mulliken on Sept. 2, 2020.

Front side of fissure 21 of Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Red oxidation and white mineral precipitates color the front of the rampart. Fountains erupted immediately in front of this feature. 

This photo views fissure 21, of Kīlauea's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption, from the southeast.