Images

A helicopter overflight on June 16, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The eruptive activity has consisted of lava fountaining supplying lava flows covering the southwest portion of the crater floor.

View from the southern rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea on Friday, June 16, 2023, showing the southwest eruptive vent that is currently spattering and feeding lava flows on the crater floor. The fountaining is continuous, with lava bombs being thrown at least 10 m (33 ft) upwards and at least twice that distance away from the vent.

Close-up view of the southwest eruptive vent in Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea on Friday, June 16, 2023, as it spatters and feeds lava flows on the crater floor. The fountaining is continuous, with lava bombs being thrown at least 10 m (33 ft) upwards and at least twice that distance away from the vent. USGS photo by D. Downs.

Southwest-looking view of the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight the morning of June 16, 2023. Active lava can be seen erupting from a vent on the southwest (far side) crater wall.

Telephoto view—looking southwest—of the southwest wall eruptive vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea.

This compilation shows a sequence of thermal maps of the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The high initial eruption rates in the opening day of the eruption supplied numerous lava fountains that covered the entire crater floor with new lava.

Telephoto view—looking west—of the eruptive vent on the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea. This was captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight the morning of June 16, 2023.

View—looking southwest—of the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu, as captured during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight the morning of June 16, 2023. Lava can be seen erupting from a vent on the southwest crater wall in the background.

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist uses a laser rangefinder to track the rise of the crater floor and lava lake surface within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption on June 14, 2023. The provided eruption statistics are derived from helicopter overflight data collected on Monday, June 12, but map features have been updated based on Wednesday, June 14 webcam views.

A view of roiling lava within the eruptive vent in the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater on Wednesday, July 14, 2023, partially obscured by thick volcanic fume. This vent is currently the only active eruptive vent at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

An overview of eruptive activity in Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea during the evening of Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The eruptive vent in the southwest wall of the crater (right) appeared to be the only active vent, and it was supplying lava into a lake in the southwestern portion of the crater. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A closeup of a lava stream emerging from the base of a spatter cone that comprises the active eruptive vent in Halemaʻumaʻu crater— at the summit of Kīlauea—on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A view of the eruptive vent in the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, taken from the western caldera rim at Kīlauea on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Visible is the vent opening at the top of the perched cone and lava effusing from its base onto the crater floor. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists captured this telephoto view of the spattering surface on the southern side of the crater during an eruption monitoring shift on June 12. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

On June 12, 2023, HVO scientists conducted an overflight of the eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. This aerial photo shows the darker parts of the crater floor, most which have been covered with new lava since the eruption began on June 7.

The island, which was created in the very first hours of the 2020 Halema‘uma‘u lava lake eruption, is still visible. Fresh lava from the opening of the 2023 eruption has risen high around the edges and covered part of the surface. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists wonder how much longer this feature will survive. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

This compilation shows thermal maps of the initial days of the ongoing eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The high initial eruption rates in the opening day of the eruption supplied numerous lava fountains that covered the entire crater floor with new lava.

Eruptive activity at the summit of Kīlauea has localized to the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater in recent days. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists had this view of the primary eruptive vent on Monday, June 12, from the western crater rim, looking to the southeast.

During a Kīlauea summit eruption field observation shift on June 12, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists noted that lava was not flowing down the surface of the western vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater wall, though the vent was still fuming. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

The lava on the surface of Halema‘uma‘u crater is hot and fluid even though it quickly grows a dark crust. When the crust forms, it becomes denser than the fluid lava below and starts to sink into it. The fluid red lava below forms thin lobes above the sinking crust. We call this process crustal foundering—an overturn of the crust.