Images

5/12/18, 12:57 p.m. HST - Lava was slowly advancing from fissure 16.

To help us understand what could happen at Kīlauea Volcano's summit, we look to past similar events, but this does not mean that future events will be exactly the same. This map shows the distribution of ballistics and tephra from the 1924 phreatic (steam-driven) explosions.

On the morning of May 9, 2018, a large rockfall in "Overlook crater" within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea triggered a gas-driven explosion that sent an ash plume several thousand feet skyward. Phreatic (steam-driven) explosions can create larger ash plumes; the 1924 explosions sent ash plumes up to 20,000 feet high. USGS photo.

At 9:06 a.m. HST, 5/11/18, an ash plume rose from the Overlook crater at Kīlauea's summit. Similar to recent plumes, this event was likely caused by a rockfall from the crater's steep walls.

The summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater has dropped substantially over the past week due to intrusive and eruptive activity on the lower East Rift zone. This 3D model of the crater was created from thermal images collected during a helicopter overflight on May 8. The lake at this time was roughly 295 m (970 feet) below the floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

This thermal map shows the fissure system during an overflight of the area this afternoon. Fissure 15, at the northeast end of the fissure system, formed today but was only briefly active. The black and white area is the extent of the thermal map.

Ash column rises from the Overlook crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. HVO's interpretation is that the explosion was triggered by a rockfall from the steep walls of Overlook crater. The photograph was taken 5/9/18 at 8:29 a.m. HST from the Jaggar Museum overlook.

Severe ground cracks associated with fissure 14 in Leilani Estates. 

HVO geologist measured a temperature of 103 degrees C (218 degree F) at a crack along Nohea Street, Leilani Estates. The asphalt road was describes as "mushy" from the heat.

This map shows the locations of fissures and an ‘A‘ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 7:00 p.m. HST, May 8. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Ash column rises from the Overlook crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. HVO's interpretation is that the explosion was triggered by a rockfall from the steep walls of Overlook crater. The photograph was taken at 8:29 a.m. HST from the Jaggar Museum overlook. The explosion was short-lived.

At 13:00 p.m. HST. Aerial view from the Hawaii County Fire Department of fissure 15. The fissure cut across Pohoiki Road.

This map shows the locations of fissures and an 'a'ā flow erupted since May 3 in the order that they occurred in Leilani Estates as of 5:30 p.m. HST, May 9. Note the area of heavy steaming from ground cracks that began earlier this afternoon, located west of Highway 130. The purple areas are lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

At 16:22 HST. Steaming area located uprift (west) of Highway 130. Geologists observed many steaming ground cracks in the area during two overflights this afternoon. This area is inline with fissures 1-15 (in distance, upper left in photo), but located farther west.

Yellow street lines show the offset of cracks on Leilani Street, Leilani Estates.

Preliminary map showing location of fissures 13 and 14, prepared by geologists on site in Leilani Estates at 16:06 p.m. today. Both fissures were briefly active this afternoon. Geologists reported fissure 13 activity had diminished by about 5 p.m. HST.

Aerial view of fissure 13 that became active mid-afternoon today.

Aerial view of fissure 12 at 1:15 p.m. HST.

Steam rises from fissure 9 on Moku Street in the Leilani Estates Subdivision.

Cracks in Highway 130; orange paint was used to outline the cracks. The road remained closed for much of the day on 5/7/18.

This map shows the locations of eruptive fissures on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone in the order that they occurred in the Leilani Estates Subdivision as of 6:00 a.m. HST today (May 6). The blue lines are paths of steepest descent that identify likely paths of a lava flow, if and when lava moves downhill from an erupting vent.