Images

This overview photo of the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u was captured from the west rim of the crater shortly after noon on September 30, 2021. Several fissures, erupting through the lava lake, stretch from the lake's center to its southern (right) margin.

On the evening of September 30, 2021, linear fissures remained active in the middle of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at Kīlauea. This photo was taken from the south, looking north, in a closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, where USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitor the eruption with National Park Service permission. USGS Photo by K. Lynn.

On September 30, 2021, a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientist takes notes based on the spectra being displayed by the field laptop, which is connected to a FTIR spectrometer on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. In this image, multiple active fountaining sources are visible in the central and western portions of Halemaʻumaʻu.

Aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. Lava continues to erupt from multiple vents along the floor and western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. As of this afternoon all lava activity is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater.

Aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. The nascent lava lake has been rising approximately one meter (yard) an hour since the eruption began.

This zoomed-in photo of the western fissure within Halema‘uma‘u was captured at 9:00 a.m. on September 30, 2021. Eruptive activity at this location is very similar to that of the northern fissure from the December 2020 eruption, with lava fountains feeding a short cascade down to the rising lava lake.

Morning light and shifts in the volcanic gas plume allowed field crews on September 30 to glimpse the surface of the main island that remains from the 12/2020–5/2021 lava lake. The island appears to be blanketed with a new coating of spatter and tephra from nearby fissures within the lava lake, with minor overflows at the edges.

Around 6 p.m. HST on September 30, 2021, Kīlauea's new eruption in Halema‘uma‘u continued with vigorous fountain activity at the new vent on the western crater wall. This view is from the south caldera rim looking to the west at the approximately 15 m (50-ft) high fountain measured over a five minute interval.

Telephoto aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. This photo shows several of the fountaining sources on the base of Halemaʻumaʻu, which are only a few meters (yards) high. USGS image by K. Mulliken. 

This thermal image was taken during the morning overflight on September 30, 2021, and looks west across Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. Several fountains are emerging through the active lake surface, in addition to fountaining on the west margin of the lake.

Oblique telephoto aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021.

On the evening of September 30, 2021, the new eruption in Halema'uma'u at Kīlauea summit continued with several active vents in the middle of the lake and on the west side. USGS image by K. Lynn. 

Aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. The eruption is generating a vigorous plume of volcanic gas, including sulfur dioxide, being transported downwind.

Telephoto aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. A series of fountains in the central portion of the lava lake are visible, as well as the prominent vent in the west wall of Halemaʻumaʻu.

Telephoto aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. This photo shows two of the many spattering sources active in the base of Halemaʻumaʻu, feeding the growing lava lake. The south wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater is visible in the upper left portion of the image.

Oblique aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. This view shows multiple active spattering sources in southern central part of Halemaʻumaʻu, and associated plumes of volcanic gas.

Telephoto aerial image of eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea Volcano's summit taken during an overflight at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST on September 30, 2021. The active vent in the west wall of Halemaʻumaʻu is vigorously fountaining, and is one of many fountaining sources active in the lava lake right now.

A helicopter overflight on September 30, 2021, at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. This thermal map shows the extent of the new lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u.

At approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, an eruption began within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

An image of the new Kīlauea summit fissure eruption within Halema'uma'u crater taken at approximately 4:15 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021.