Images

The former Hawaiian Volcano Observatory building, perched on Kīlauea caldera rim, has spectacular views of the summit eruption. The tower was built with a vision of overlooking eruptions such as this one. This building was damaged during the 2018 summit collapse and is slated for deconstruction later this year. USGS photo by C. Gansecki. 

During the afternoon of September 12, 2023, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera. The eruption is occurring on the downdropped block east of Halema‘uma‘u, which formed during the 2018 summit collapse.

On September 12, 2023, HVO geologists landed on the downdropped block to collect samples of tephra from the now-inactive easternmost fissures of the new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea. These samples will be analyzed to better understand how and why the new eruption occurred. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

The former Hawaiian Volcano Observatory building, perched on Kīlauea caldera rim, has spectacular views of the summit eruption. The tower was built with a vision of overlooking eruptions such as this one. This building was damaged during the 2018 summit collapse and is slated for deconstruction later this year. USGS photo by C. Gansecki. 

An HVO geologist makes observations of the vents erupting on the floor of the downdropped block in Kīlauea summit caldera on September 12, 2023. Field crews measure the height of the cones around the vents, the height of the lava fountains, and the height of the lava flow field as it becomes perched above the surrounding pre-eruptive landscape. USGS photo by N.

A helicopter overflight on September 12, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the summit of Kīlauea. The eruptive activity continues with fountains active on the downdropped block, just east of Halema‘uma‘u crater, with lava pouring west onto the crater floor.

HVO geologists observed the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera during an eruption-monitoring overflight the morning of September 11, 2023. Multiple minor fountains remain active in the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and on the downdropped block within Kīlauea's summit caldera.

HVO geologists observed the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera during an eruption-monitoring overflight the morning of September 11, 2023. Multiple minor fountains remain active in the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and on the downdropped block within Kīlauea's summit caldera.

HVO geologists observed the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera during an eruption-monitoring overflight the morning of September 11, 2023. Multiple minor fountains remain active in the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and on the downdropped block within Kīlauea's summit caldera.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist are in the field today, September 11, monitoring the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera that began yesterday afternoon. From the scarp of the downdropped block on its north side, the active fissures on the downdropped block and Halemaʻumaʻu crater are visible.

After preparing the lava samples, the pressed pellets are loaded into the energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instrument for analysis (box on the left in the image). The computer screen shows the spectral spikes for certain elements measured in the sample during the analysis.

A dried sample of the recent Kīlauea summit eruption is ready for processing at the University of Hawai‘i. UH-Hilo photo by S. Lundblad. 

HVO geologists observed the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera during an eruption-monitoring overflight the morning of September 11, 2023. Multiple minor fountains remain active in the eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor and on the downdropped block within Kīlauea's summit caldera.

A new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano began at approximately 3:13 p.m. on Sunday, September 10, 2023. This map depicts activity within Halema‘uma‘u on the second day of the eruption, September 11.

A photo showing what completed pellet look like, with a sharpie pen for scale. The rough and uneven lava sample has been transformed into a pellet that is dense, fine-grained, and has a flat surface that can be analyzed. USGS photo by S. Lundblad. 

During the morning of September 11, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera. The eruption is occurring in the east portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the downdropped block to the east, which formed during the 2018 summit collapse.

During the morning of September 11, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within Kīlauea summit caldera. The eruption is occurring in the east portion of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the downdropped block to the east, which formed during the 2018 summit collapse.

On September 11, 2023, HVO geologists deployed a new webcam to monitor the ongoing eruption at the summit of  Kīlauea. The S2cam is a temporary webcam showing Kīlauea caldera downdropped block and Halemaʻumaʻu crater; the view is from the north rim of the downdropped block and looking west. USGS image by M. Patrick. 

A helicopter overflight on September 11, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected at the summit of Kīlauea. The eruptive activity continues with fountains active on the downdropped block, just east of Halema‘uma‘u crater, with lava pouring west onto the crater floor.

A UH-Hilo undergraduate research assistant Paige Johnson places a sample of the Kīlauea summit eruption into the shatterbox, which will turn the sample into a homogenous powder. UH-Hilo photo by S. Lundblad.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected tephra samples erupted from Kīlauea summit on September 10th, 2023. The samples were collected from the rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater and range in size up to 1 inch (2.54 cm). This tephra was visibly less rounded than the existing tephra along the rim from the June 2023 eruption.