Images

USGS and OAS team prepares the sampling mechanism and inspects the unmanned aerial system a few minutes before mission start and takeoff. All safety precautions were taken to ensure the aircraft and sampling mechanism were sterile, and would return safely from the pond.

Civil Air Patrol captured this aerial image of Mauna Loa's summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo, on Sunday, October 20, 2019. The true summit of Mauna Loa is located just to the right of the center of the image, at the highest location above the caldera wall in the background.

An early morning view looking north across Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, from a spot near the summit cabin on the volcano's south caldera rim. Frost covered much of the caldera floor that was still shadowed, and weak steaming issued from the usual areas. Overall, there were no significant changes observed at the summit.

Sulphur Cone (left), viewed toward southwest, from 3,480 m (11,420 ft) above sea level on Mauna Loa's southwest rift zone. At right, an HVO geoscientist and technician rebuild volcanic gas monitoring equipment installed near an outgassing fissure.

The water level at Kīlauea summit continues to slowly rise, with the size of the pond gradually enlarging. The pond today was at least 140 m (460 ft) in the east-west direction (from bottom to top of image). This length is a minimum estimate as the west end of the pond is now partially blocked from view by the crater walls. USGS photo by D. Swanson.

Black Dog breccia pipe is the remnant of an inactive hydrothermal vent system fo

Material filling the dissolved voids includes clasts of wall rock as well as beach sediments being washed into the voids. The lower structure on the left is about 0.7 m (2 ft) wide and 1.5 m (5 ft) high. Note the fracture alignment above the void structure on the right.

A closer look at the water surface. While most of the surface has a yellow-green color, portions along the shoreline have a blue color and seem to correspond to areas of water upwelling. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This timelapse video covers about 30 minutes of activity at the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. Water appears to be flowing into the pond from several locations, including the southern boundary (right side in this image). A small amount of material is also seen floating on the surface at the eastern end of the pond (top of image).

This timelapse video covers about 25 minutes and shows the circulation in the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u. There appears to be an influx of water along the southern shoreline (right side in this image). A broader eastward flow of water (towards the top of the image) is evident. The video is shown twice.

HVO field engineers and staff conducted quarterly work at a deep borehole, known as the Keller Well, at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano today (Sept. 24). They lowered a sensor into the well to measure the distance between the ground surface and the top of the water table, which was 505 m (1657 ft) below the ground surface today.

This video is shown at 30x speed and highlights the changing activity on the surface of the water pond. Steaming shifts in the wind, and circulation of the water is evident in areas of sharp color boundaries.

Images taken on September 10 and 14 show the slight rise in water level, most obvious by comparing the rock marked with an arrow in each photo. USGS photos by M. Patrick.

An early morning view looking north across Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, from a spot near the summit cabin on the volcano's south caldera rim. Frost covered much of the caldera floor that was still shadowed, and weak steaming issued from the usual areas. Overall, there were no significant changes observed at the summit.

Aerial view of the new thermal area, in the center left. The existing Tern Lake thermal area is the bright white patch of ground in the upper middle part of the image. West Tern Lake is in the lower right. Research conducted under NPS Geology Programs Milestones Permit 2016-9.

YVO scientist showing a GPS receiver and monitoring station in Yellowstone Natio

Old Faithful Geyser, as well as Old Faithful Inn and the Yellowstone National Park visitor center, as viewed from the lookout on Observation Point trail.

A near-vertical view into Halema‘uma‘u, with the water pond at the bottom still in the shadow of early morning. USGS photo by D. Becker.

This video sequence begins with a close-up of the fumaroles on the north side of Halema‘uma‘u, then widens to show a broader view of the crater, with the water pond at the bottom. The video then shows a close-up of the water surface, with steaming and ripples.

This photo shows an outcrop of pyroclastic flow deposits near Willow Creek on the Pumice Plain at Mount St. Helens. The dramatic lines crossing the outcrop indicate contacts between different layers of pyroclastic flow deposits. Two participants of the 2019 GeoGirls program are shown studying the outcrop, using it to understand the eruptive history of the volcano.

View looking east showing the large perched lava channel on the Fissure 8 flow. Puna Geothermal Venture is in the upper left. USGS photo by D. Becker.