Images

On September 20, 2024, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists examined a ground crack near the recent eruption site in the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

A glowing crack in a fresh lava flow on the floor of Nāpau Crater, on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick. 

Pāhoehoe lava flows paved the floor of Nāpau Crater during the recent eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone. Pāhoehoe is characterized by smooth, billowy, and ropy surface textures. Recent lava flowed over tephra that previously coated this area of the crater floor.

A helicopter overflight on September 20, 2024, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the middle East Rift Zone eruption site on Kīlauea.  This thermal map shows that the eruption at Nāpau Crater had paused this morning, with no fountaining or active lava on the surface.

A USGS scientist aims the viewfinder of an infrared spectrometer to measure the chemistry of volcanic gas on the last day of the Nāpau eruption, September 20, 2024. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted a reconnaissance overflight of the eruption near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. They observed a 150-m-long (nearly 500 feet) fissure west of the crater erupting lava that is flowing in the crater via a channel more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide.

The 150-m-long (nearly 500 feet) fissure erupting west of Nāpau Crater within Hawaʻi Volcanoes National Park began erupting yesterday, September 18, around 3:15 p.m. It's part of an eruptive sequence that began in this area the night of September 15, 2024.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted a reconnaissance overflight of the eruption near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. They observed a 150-m-long (nearly 500 feet) fissure west of the crater erupting lava that is flowing in the crater via a channel more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide.

A helicopter overflight on September 19, 2024, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the middle East Rift Zone eruption site on Kīlauea. The eruptive activity continues with a fissure vent active west of Nāpau Crater generating lava flows northeast into the crater.

On September 19, 2024, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists landed near the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption site, where they viewed lava flowing through a channel more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide. USGS photo by M. Zoeller. 

This reference map depicts fissures and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Map data are current as of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight that occurred between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.

During the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reconnaissance overflight the morning of September 19, geologists observed the fissure west of Nāpau Crater generating a lava flow that travels northeast before cascading into the crater on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This aerial view is looking in a south direction, from north of the eruption site.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted a reconnaissance overflight of the eruption near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. They observed lava cascading over the rim of the crater from a channel more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) wide. Lava is contained within Nāpau Crater and now covers about two thirds of the crater floor.

From the ground in Nāpau Crater, spattering lava was visible above the newly formed lava flows. This eruption is taking place on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by H. Winslow. 

Although most of the lava flow field within Nāpau Crater was inactive this morning, lava was actively oozing out of a marginal area. USGS photo by H. Winslow. 

During a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring overflight the morning of September 18, geologists observed only very weak activity at Kīlauea's middle East Rift Zone eruption site in Nāpau Crater.

Steam and volcanic gas continue to be emitted from the first fissures that erupted the night of September 15 on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, west of Nāpau Crater. This photo, taken during morning monitoring overflight, looks southeast. USGS photo by H. Winslow.

This reference map depicts fissures and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption as of the end of the day on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Areas in bright red represent new lava flows since the area was last mapped during the morning of September 17, when activity was focused within Nāpau Crater.

During the evening of September 18, the glow from the middle East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea was visible from the Keauhou Trail pull-off within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS photo by K. Mulliken.

A helicopter overflight on September 18, 2024, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the middle East Rift Zone eruption site on Kīlauea. The eruptive activity continues with a single low fountain active within Nāpau Crater and much of the flow field on the crater floor stagnant.

Weak low fountaining in a tiny lava pond within Nāpau Crater was visible during a morning Hawaiian Volcano Observatory eruption monitoring overflight on September 18, 2024. The eruptive activity has greatly decreased compared to yesterday. USGS photo by H. Winslow.