Images

A close-up of the glowing vent on Halema‘uma‘u lava lake surface shows that it is built from clots of spatter that have welded together. USGS photo by J. Schmith.

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.

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.

A helicopter overflight on June 12, 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 and lava lake activity, confined within the crater. The area of active lava has diminished in recent days.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use an FTIR to measure volcanic gas at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater eruption site. The FTIR is aimed at the hot, glowing lava and the volcanic gas between the lava and the FTIR can be measured.

On the afternoon of June 9, 2023, the fissure on the southwest wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater was still active and had formed a spatter cone. The vent was feeding lava flows down into the still active Halema‘uma‘u lava lake below. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

Low fountaining has been active where lava upwells into Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. This video shows a series of small fountains in the southern portion of the crater floor. Camera shake is due to high winds at the time.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's B1cam was located on the east rim of the downdropped block within Kīlauea’s summit caldera, overlooking Halema‘uma‘u crater to the west. The eruption that began within Halema‘uma‘u crater the early morning of June 7, 2023, flooded the crater floor with lava and the B1cam was exposed to intense heat.

A telephoto view looking down on the fissure vent in the talus pile in the southwest corner of Halema‘uma‘u crater, taken from the western crater rim. Over the past 24 hours, this fissure vent has built up a spatter cone and spatter ramparts around its lava flow that cascades down to the crater floor.

View from the west rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater, showing the new lava flows that have covered the crater floor since the morning of June 7, 2023. This photograph, taken the morning of June 8, 2023, shows several active fissure vents that are feeding lava flows that cover the floor of the crater.

On June 7, 2023, the first day of Kīlauea’s most recent eruption, CSAV International participants visited Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to observe the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

A summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, began at approximately 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023. Lava is flowing on the crater floor and there are several active vent sources. The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern.

Aerial view shows multiple active vent sources and lava flooding the crater floor. 

HVO scientists conducted an overflight of the new eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano, within began the morning of June 7, 2023. This aerial photo shows that multiple vent sources are active on the crater floor, much of which has been covered with new lava over the past several hours.

A new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano began at approximately 4:43 a.m. on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. This reference map depicts activity in the first two hours of the eruption, based on measurements taken from the crater rim at approximately 6:00 a.m.

A close-up view of the fissure vent in the southwest wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. As of 9:30 a.m., multiple vents remain active in the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit.

The B1cam, located on the down-dropped block west of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, is one of several Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams that are documenting the ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit. You can view all Kīlauea summit webcams here: Summit Webcams | U.S.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists scouted the perimeter of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor for a location to sample lava erupted by new vents that opened the morning of June 7, 2023. Initial lava flows inundated the crater floor (an area of approximately 1.5 square km or 370 acres) and added about 10 meters (32 feet) depth of new lava.