Images

The 1940 eruption of Mauna Loa began and remained within Moku‘āweoweo, the summit caldera. The eruption was approximately 164 days in duration, and created a lava lake within the caldera. Today, only the cone from that eruption remains visible above the 1984 lava flows that surround it on the caldera floor. USGS image by K. Mulliken.

The 1949 eruption of Mauna Loa began, and remained, within the summit region. However, the 1949 eruption did generate several small lava flows that traveled a few miles south, southeast, and southwest. The 1949 eruption lasted for approximately 144 days, and generated the cone pictured here, extending from above the southwest caldera wall to the caldera floor.

Plot showing the magnitude and time of earthquakes in the October 2022 Pāhala sequence. The magnitude 5.0 mainshock is shown in blue and the aftershocks with 6.2 miles (10 km) of that event are shown in yellow to red with the color based on their time of occurrence. USGS plot. 

Image of the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater. The western vent complex (fuming cones in foreground), Halema‘uma‘u lava lake and south pond (silvery surface in center), and large island (darker lava in upper left) and all visible in this view from the west rim. Incandescent lava spatter is visible at the east end of the active lava lake.

Panoramic view of Halema‘uma‘u crater, looking east, at Kīlauea summit. Lava continues to erupt from the west vent complex into the active lava lake. USGS photo taken by F. Trusdell on the morning of October 12, 2022.

This reference map depicts the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption on October 7, 2022. One eruptive vent (orange) is active within Halema‘uma‘u, on the western side of the crater floor. An adjacent pond (purple) is feeding lava to a larger lake (red) via a crusted-over tube.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Mauna Loa monitoring data showing increased ground deformation rates (top) and earthquake rates (bottom) from August 8 through October 5, 2022.

The eruption continues within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. This telephoto, looking east from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u, shows the active lava lake (center), with active lava ponds to the southeast (upper right) and west (lower center). The silvery surface of these three features is the active lava.

View of over half of the crater floor and active lava lake (center right) within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea on October 5, 2022. In this view looking east, all but the southwest portion of Halema‘uma‘u's crater floor is visible. USGS photo by N. Deligne.

This photo shows a Unoccupied Aircraft System (UAS) unit staged for take-off on October 5, 2022. Data from this flight will be used to construct an updated high resolution map of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea.

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on October 5, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) flights on October 5, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The active lake surface is limited to the western portion of the crater.

“Noisy” InSAR interferogram examples covering the Island of Hawaiʻi. (A) shows data that spans 12 days. This InSAR image show similar concentric ring patterns over both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.

In September 2022, HVO scientists set up GPS equipment at various benchmarks on Kīlauea volcano as part of routine annual deformation monitoring. USGS photo by A.P. Ellis.

This animated gif shows one year of reference maps depicting the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, which began on September 29, 2021. The animated gif shows how the active lava lake has decreased in area over the past year, while the crater floor has grown in area.

This animated gif shows one year of reference maps depicting the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption, which began on September 29, 2021. The animated gif shows how the active lava lake has decreased in area over the past year, while the crater floor has grown in area.

This image, taken from the KWcam around 11 am on September 29, 2022, shows the lava lake and ongoing eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea volcano.

This animated gif shows one year of thermal maps made from aerial visual and thermal imagery collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The animated gif shows how the active lava lake has decreased in area over the past year, while the crater floor has grown in area.

B1cam webcam image taken from the east rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, on September 27, 2022. 

KWcam image taken on September 27, 2022. The floor of Halemaʻumaʻu has grown in area and elevation due to the ongoing eruption in crater. The island that formed on December 20, 2020, is surrounded by younger lava flows so what is seen on the surface of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor today represents the oldest and youngest deposits from these recent eruptions!

On September 20, 2022, a slight drop in lava lake level at the summit of Kīlauea resulted in stagnation of the small lava pond that was supplied by the main lava lake. The drop in lava level left a narrow bridge of solidified lava over the pathway between these two areas USGS photo by M. Patrick.