Images

This annotated image shows the lava flows and tephra deposits of the southwest portion of Kaluapele (Kīlauea's summit caldera). The photo was taken during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on the morning of Monday, December 30, 2024, with a view to the east.

Volcanoes tend to have seismicity that waxes and wanes over time. That’s considered normal and not necessarily a cause for concern. Let’s check on Mount Adams to see what USGS scientists are doing to learn more about its recent earthquake activity and what it could mean for this Cascade Range volcano.

A USGS scientist aims the viewfinder of an infrared spectrometer to measure the chemistry of volcanic gas on the last day of the Nāpau eruption, September 20, 2024. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.

Shaded relief location map for the East Gallatin-Reese Creek fault system (EGRCFS) in northwest Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The location of the EGRCFS is shown as mapped in the U.S.

USGS scientist Peter Kelly is recognized for his work to design, optimize, and commercialize Multi-GAS technology for monitoring of geothermal and volcanic gas emanations. Notably, he spent almost a decade designing, engineering, and perfecting a system of geochemical sensors for both portable and semi-permanent remote deployment.

The eruption on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone remained paused on Tuesday, June 4, but Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited the area to take measurements of the previous day's lava flows. Here, a geologist examines part of the lava flow from fissure 2.

Aerial image of the Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea, viewed during an overflight at approximately 6 a.m. on June 3, 2024. USGS image.

A new eruption began along Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone on June 3, 2024, and this map depicts activity on the eruption's first day. New lava flows are shown in red, only covering about 88 acres (36 hectares) of ground within relatively short distances of the eruptive fissures.

A field team of HVO geochemists visited the site of Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone fissure eruption to measure gases released from the fissures. The team used a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, an instrument that detects gas compositions on the basis of absorbed infrared light. USGS photo by Tricia Nadeau (HVO)

While observing the new fissure eruption in Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone, HVO scientists in the field were treated to views of rainbow terminating in the cloud of volcanic gases. USGS photo by Tricia Nadeau (HVO)

Around 6 a.m. HST on June 3, 2024, a helicopter overflight by USGS HVO scientists was observed by a field crew taking gas measurements of the new fissure eruption in Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone.  USGS photo by Tricia Nadeau (HVO)

In this photo taken at about 6 a.m. HST on June 3, both lava fountains (left) and emissions of volcanic ash (right) are visible erupting from the new fissures in Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone. The ash is dark gray, while the remainder of the whitish plumes are composed of steam and other volcanic gases. USGS photo by Tricia Nadeau (HVO)

Frothy, glassy fragments of lava from the fountains of Kīlauea's June 3 eruption fissures were found scattered around newly-erupted lava flows. These tephra contain valuable geochemical information about the magma which fueled the eruption. USGS image by D. Downs. 

Scientists observed cracks in previous eruptive surfaces near the new fissure eruption southwest of Kīlauea's summit on June 3, 2024. These cracks ranged from a few centimeters (inches) to approximately 2 meters (6.6 feet) wide.

Lava fountains from the June 3, 2024 fissure eruption in Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone were estimated to have reached as high as 20 meters (66 feet), with an average height of 10 meters (33 feet). 

Aerial image of the Southwest Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea, viewed during an overflight at approximately 6 a.m. on June 3, 2024. USGS image.

The glow from the eruption of Kīlauea volcano, visible from Volcano House in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park during the early morning hours of June 3. Image courtesy of Volcano House.

The glow from the eruption of Kīlauea volcano, visible from Volcano House in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park during the early morning hours of June 3. Image courtesy of Volcano House. 

The glow from the eruption of Kīlauea volcano, visible from Volcano House in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park during the early morning hours of June 3. Image courtesy of Volcano House. 

This map depicts recent unrest at Kīlauea. Yellow circles mark the locations of approximately 1,600 earthquakes that have occurred between April 27 and May 2, 2024. Most earthquakes have been smaller than magnitude-2, with locations clustering in an area known as the upper East Rift Zone or East Rift connector.

HVO staff also installed a new pan-tilt-zoom webcam (MDLcam) on the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa on April 24, 2024.