Images

Activity was very low during the helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea summit, on the morning of December 21. This view shows the west vent (near center) and the western part of the lava lake, where only a tiny portion of the surface was weakly active. The lava lake, which is in a state of pause, now has exposed walls due to a drop in the surface.

Wendy McCausland is a volcano seismologist who works with the Cascades Volcano Observatory to help understand volcanic seismicity and its use in eruption forecastings.

Kevin Pesola is an administrative support specialist with the USGS Volcano Science Center. He is based at the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Arthur Jolly is a research geophysicist who is based out of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

A small amount of lava spatter was thrown from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit, on December 20, 2021. Lava continued to flow into the lake from a source north (left) of the main vent cone. Multiple sources of degassing can be seen on and around the vent cone. USGS photo by B. Carr.

A small amount of lava spatter was thrown from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at Kīlauea summit, on December 20, 2021. Lava continued to flow into the lake from a source north (left) of the main vent cone. Multiple sources of degassing can be seen on and around the vent cone. USGS photo by B. Carr.

Brian Meyers is science support staff with the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory.

D. Kirk Nordstrom is a research hydrologist emeritus with the United States Geological Survey. 

Taryn Plummer is an administrative operations assistant with the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, Alaska.

John Power works with the Alaska Volcano Observatory and specializes in volcano seismology, geophysics, and eruption forecasting.

This photo from Friday, December 17, shows that the west vent remains active in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. A steep cone has been built over the vent, with lava supplied to the perched lava lake from the base of the cone. USGS photo by E. Gallant.

A close-up view of an overflow on the levee of the perched lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo taken by E. Gallant on December 17, 2021.

A close-up view of the steep cone recently built over the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Spatter was occasionally thrown over the rim onto the flanks of the cone. USGS photo taken by E. Gallant on December 17, 2021.

Jacob Lowenstern is the Director for the USGS-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program.

Amberlee Darold is a seismic specialist and team lead for the Field Engineering and Instrumentation group at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Seth Burgess is a research geologist in the Volcano Science Center specializing in accessory mineral geochronology. 

Jordan Lubbers is a volcanologist and petrologist located at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, continues to feed a rising lava lake. During the evening of December 15, 2021 a period of increased eruptive activity included lava entering the lake from multiple sources and frequent large spatter bursts throwing lava onto the sides of the west vent cone.

Robert Mertens is a physical scientist technician for the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

William Million is a facility operations manager based out of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in Hilo, Hawaii.

Larry Mastin is a geologist with the Cascades Volcano Observatory who studies the distribution of volcanic ash.