Images

On November 8, 2019, USGS volcano scientists visited Kīlauea's Lower East Rift Zone to measure ambient gases, as well as the soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux and temperature. This photo, looking in a southeast direction, shows some steaming uprift of the 2018 fissure system.

USGS scientists measured gases in an area uprift of the 2018 fissure system on November 8. In this area, vegetation has died because of lingering heat and steam. In some areas of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone, residents report smelling gases that are likely generated by decaying organic matter rather than magma degassing. USGS image by P. Nadeau.

In Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone, a closed chamber was used to measure the rate of CO2 emitted directly from the ground near a crack emitting steam. USGS scientists continue to track changes in Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone after last year's eruption. USGS image by P. Nadeau.

USGS scientists collect gas from the Puhimau thermal area on Chain of Craters Road in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The gas is collected in evacuated (vacuum-pumped so that no gas at all is inside) glass bottles, and a system of a syringe with tubing helped ensure minimal contamination by ambient atmospheric gases.

USGS scientists collect gas from the Puhimau thermal area on Chain of Craters Road in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The gas is collected in evacuated (vacuum-pumped so that no gas at all is inside) glass bottles, and a system of a syringe with tubing helped ensure minimal contamination by ambient atmospheric gases.

Puhimau thermal area has the largest naturally occurring population of the endangered plant, Portulaca sclerocarpa (marked by the blue flag in the photo), and is the site of National Park Service restoration efforts for this species.

The Field trip guide to Mount St. Helens, Washington—Recent and ancient volcaniclastic processes and deposits is available in the USGS Publications Warehouse, at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20175022E.

Geophysicist Sarah Conway, a member of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's deformation team, readies a temporary GPS station during a campaign survey of benchmarks on Kīlauea Volcano to monitor changes in the ground surface. 

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and DOI Office of Aviation staff prepare the sampling mechanism (on blue tarp) and inspect the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) just before it took off to collect water from the Halema‘uma‘u crater lake. Brightly-colored flagging tape tied to a cable attached to the UAS indicated depth as the sampling tool was lowered into the water.

Water collected from the lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u is prepared for laboratory analyses at the USGS California Volcano Observatory. Results thus far reveal chemistry indicative of complex reactions between the water, magmatic gases, and Kīlauea's basaltic rocks. USGS photo by S. Peek, October 2019.

The "Short-term Sulfur Dioxide Advisory Level Information" table (http://www.hiso2index.info/assets/FinalSO2Exposurelevels.pdf) uses a six-tiered color-coded system to depict sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentrations and provide guidance for different groups of people exposed to SO2.

Two HVO geologists document road cutting activities on HWY 132 on August 7, 2019. One geologist is taking visual photographs while another geologist is taking thermal photographs to make a tandem pair for comparison. The temperature of the solidified lava was measured to 425 ° C (800 ° F) at the digging site. Photograph by USGS geologist K.

Still image from November 1, 2019, YVO video monthly update.

Transportation takes many forms; this horse trek to GPS station HVWY in Hayden Valley complies with wilderness regulations, reduces impact to sensitive areas, and enables teams to upgrade equipment to keep the site operational year-round. Site maintenance was completed under permit YELL-2019-SCI-5546, in close coordination with Park staff, on September 18, 2019.

Map of monitoring instruments in and around Yellowstone National Park as of October 31, 2019. To view the interactive version of this map, go to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website.

This video shows a close-up of the unmanned aerial system collecting a water sample in Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019.

This video shows the unmanned aerial system collecting a water sample from Halema‘uma‘u. This wider view shows the scale of the UAS relative to the water pond. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019.

USGS and OAS team prepares the sampling mechanism and inspects the unmanned aerial system a few minutes before mission start and takeoff. All safety precautions were taken to ensure the aircraft and sampling mechanism were sterile, and would return safely from the pond.

Civil Air Patrol captured this aerial image of Mauna Loa's summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo, on Sunday, October 20, 2019. The true summit of Mauna Loa is located just to the right of the center of the image, at the highest location above the caldera wall in the background.

An early morning view looking north across Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, from a spot near the summit cabin on the volcano's south caldera rim. Frost covered much of the caldera floor that was still shadowed, and weak steaming issued from the usual areas. Overall, there were no significant changes observed at the summit.

Sulphur Cone (left), viewed toward southwest, from 3,480 m (11,420 ft) above sea level on Mauna Loa's southwest rift zone. At right, an HVO geoscientist and technician rebuild volcanic gas monitoring equipment installed near an outgassing fissure.