Images

A koa‘e kea (white-tailed tropicbird) flies close to the eastern lava lake and dome fountain in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A koa‘e kea (white-tailed tropicbird) flies by the edge of the eastern lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A small fountain has been active in the upwelling zone of the eastern lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. In recent days a small island of solidified lava has been present close to the fountain. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava lake activity remains steady in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. In this photo, a USGS scientist measures the elevation of the lava lake using a handheld laser rangefinder. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

This view from the west caldera rim shows several lava lakes active within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The eastern lake is the farthest from this vantage point. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

On the morning of January 25, 2023, the active lava pond in the east side of Halema‘uma‘u crater had low fountaining generating bursts of lava about 1-2 m (3-7 ft) high. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

The perched active lava lake in the east side of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea began to overflow, shown in this zoomed image of the lake margin on the morning of January 25, 2023. USGS photo by K. Lynn.

A close up of the lava lake levee, in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. The levee is formed by numerous small crustal plates rafted atop one another and fused together. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A wide view of the entire eastern lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, on January 20. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A close up of the small lava fountain at the upwelling source of the eastern lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The fountain is adjacent to a small island of solidified lava. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Dusk lighting on January 20, 2023, permitted better views of the morphology of the eastern lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The low sun angle highlighted the perched levees impounding the lake. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Lava lake activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, on January 20, 2023. Lava upwells at the fountain source and spreads out towards the lake margin, where it downwells. Overall, activity in the crater has been steady in recent days. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

A close up of the lava lake levee, in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea. The levee is formed by numerous small crustal plates rafted atop one another and fused together. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Telephoto view of the lava fountain within the active lava lake in the eastern side of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, taken on January 19, 2023. USGS photo by J.M. Chang.

View of the active lava lake in the eastern side of Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. A perched levee consisting of stacked crustal plates a few meters (yards) tall surrounds the lake. A fountain (orange) is present on the southwest side of the lake. At the time the photo was taken, a flow had breached the levee on the south (right) side.

This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption on January 18, 2023. The provided eruption statistics are derived from helicopter overflight data collected on January 17, 2023, but map features have been updated based on January 18 webcam views.

A helicopter overflight on January 17, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The largest lava lake is located in the eastern portion of the crater, though lava has also filled the areas previously active in the western portion of the crater.

Lava lake activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. This photo from the January 17 overflight looks west and shows that the eastern lake, in the foreground, remains stable. This eastern lake is supplied by a single fountain marked by the bright spot of incandescence.

A layer of fog covers the southern portion of Kīlauea Iki crater, as shown by this early morning overflight photo. USGS photo by C. Parcheta.

Plumes of steam were easily visible coming from Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) during the January 17 overflight of Kīlauea summit. USGS photo by C. Parcheta.

The eruption in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, continues with steady lava lake activity. The largest lake is in the eastern portion of the crater, and is supplied by a single fountain. A smaller lake is also active in the western portion of the crater, along with two other much smaller lakes. USGS photo by M. Patrick.