Images

The lava flows on the coastal plain, which show up as the light colored flows in the foreground, are erupted into the TEB tube system from the D fissure which first opened up in July 2007. This vent is faintly visible as a fuming source in the background near the upper left corner of the photo.

Lava, showing up here as the light colored area, continues to creep across the coastal plain toward the national park, having now reached about 1.3 km (0.8 miles) out from the base of the pali.

The currently active flows on the pali continue to chip away at the few remaining streets in the beleaguered Royal Gardens subdivision. Those visible here are pretty much all that's left, with the exception of one small kipuka out of sight to the right.

Lava flows remain active within the Royal Gardens subdivision and onto the coastal plain below. The number of surface flows has decreased however, due in part to a probable decrease in activity related to the ongoing deflation of Pu`u `Ō `ō, and because the new lava tube branch feeding the flows is becoming better developed.

As the lava tube becomes better established, the surface flows on the pali will probably die out while the flows on the coastal plain continue to move toward the ocean.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. As the slope decreases, the 'a'ā flows fan out onto the coastal plain.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Areas of the forest go up in flames as the 'a'ā flow pushes its way through the vegetation at the base of the pali, and flows onto the coastal plain.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Six channelized flows meander down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of Royal Gardens subdivision.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Six channelized flows meander down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of Royal Gardens subdivision.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. As the slope decreases, the 'a'ā flows fan out onto the coastal plain.

Lava flow moving down a steep portion of the pali, burning vegetation in the remaining portion of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Areas of the forest go up in flames as the 'a'ā flow pushes its way through the vegetation at the base of the pali, and flows onto the coastal plain.

Graduate student Allison Payne (USGS ARRA student appointment) uses a binocular microscope to pick out minerals that contain tiny melt inclusions from 2009 Redoubt tephra samples. Melt inclusions are then analyzed with a SHRIMP - Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe - for their volatile (H2O and CO2) content.

This two-image mosaic is one of the highest resolution views acquired by the Cassini spacecraft during its imaging survey of the geyser basin capping the southern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Enceladus. 

Undergraduate student Janelle Dyer (USGS ARRA student appointment) performs an ash leachate test on Redoubt ash in the Alaska Tephra Laboratory and Data Center in Anchorage, Alaska. This test is done to analyze the geochemical reaction between volcanic ash and drinking water sources during eruptions.

Fume from the erupting vent in Halema`uma`u blankets the summit of Kīlauea in thick vog.

The terminus of the more vigorous western branch of the active flow on the western side of the TEB flow field near the top of the Royal Gardens subdivision.

Kīlauea's east rift zone eruption site. Pu`u `Ō `ō is to the right, and the TEB vent and upper tube system is to the left and behind Pu`u `Ō `ō.

The terminus of the eastern branch of the one active flow above the pali. Pu`u `Ō `ō is at the top in the center with the TEB vent to the right.

Close-up of the front of the channelized 'a'ā flow on the western side of the TEB flow.

Much of the time the lava level was much lower, forming rapidly moving river of lava that cascaded into a deeper hole on the north side of the pit floor.

This ponded lava begins to drain away, forming a vortex on the lava surface. The curved streaks around the spattering point at the bottom of the image show where lava is beginning to move in a clockwise direction.