Images

When viewed from a steeper angle (here looking west) the lava lake's shape makes it look like a huge slipper. Recent overflows appear as lighter-colored patches of lava on the crater floor around the lake.

A different perspective of the perched pond, from the west side of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater.

Photo looking southwest at the lava lake in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. Starting by July 25, lava began to exit Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō through a gap in the southwest side of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, and flowed a short distance down Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's flank. By July 29, lava had begun to pond on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's southwest flank, completely filling the Puka Nui and MLK pits.

This thermal image, looking southwest, shows the very small flow, at the bottom of the image, active in the bottom of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. In the upper right, the active flows on the lower west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō can be seen.

The new lava lake has become slightly perched above the surrounding crater floor, as shown by the distinct levees visible in this photo.

This photo, similar to the previous, was taken from the same location as photos posted on July 21 and June 9 (and several other dates scattered over the past several months) to provide a comparison to past activity in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

View looking east into Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, its crater partly filled by lava flows accumulating on the crater floor. The active lava lake in the crater is 205 m (673 ft) long and varies in width from 80-115 m (262-377 ft). The West Gap pit is in the central foreground, and the Puka Nui and MLK pits are to the right (the MLK pit is in back).

A breach in the south wall of the perched pond allowed lava to gush out onto the floor of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater.

"The great inflated cylinder of black glass which formed over the sunken island, Aug. 18, 1911" (Frank Perret).

Stream channel cross-section measurements—instrument that uses laser pulses to survey distance to a reflector operated by a second crew member, Mount St. Helens.

Global Positioning System receiver (called a GPS monument) at North Rim Station, a monitoring location at Newberry volcano, Oregon.

August 3 photo showing the collapsed floor within Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater in the foreground and two lava flow branches each burning some forest—northwest branch to the right and south branch to the left.

Frank Perret's photos from early July 1911 showing the island in the lake at the bottom of a smaller Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The view is looking southwest and the ledge up near the west rim was known as the January 1910 bench, a remnant of an earlier lava level in the crater.

Gas sampling in Sherman Crater, Mount Baker, Washington. Panoramic photograph with USGS scientist in center-left of photo beneath fumarole.

Enthusiastic students during a Mount Rainier Teacher Workshop, Washington.

USGS CVO staff member assisting a teacher with mineral identification during July 2011 Mount Rainer Teacher Workshop.

A Scroll down to the photo taken on June 29 to compare the amount of uplift the floor of the crater has endured in the last month. This photo was taken from a similar spot to the lower right of the three photos posted that day.

View looking south across Newberry caldera towards the Big Obsidian flow (left of center) and Paulina Peak, with Paulina Lake in foreground. Photo taken from the north rim of the caldera.

Gas sampling with a CO2 Infrared Spectrometer at Mount St. Helens' September Lobe lava dome, Washington.

Aerial view looking southwest into Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater with its lava lake (shiny surface) perched 5-8 m above the surrounding lava flows.

Dumping ash cleaned up in Argentina during the PCC eruption in 2011.