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An Unmanned Aircraft Systems overflight of fissure 8 on August 21, 2018, showed no incandescence within the cinder cone. Minor amounts of gases, primarily steam, rose from the north wall of the cinder cone and from areas along the lower East Rift Zone. The interior walls of the fissure 8 cone and lava channel are slumping downward and inward. The cinder cone was about 50 m (164 ft) high. Note: An overflight of the fissure 8 vent this morning (August 29) again showed no incandescence within the cone.
Void spaces within the cooled lava channel and along the channel margins create hazardous conditions on the fissure 8 flow field. Here, part of the void is visible, but a fragile veneer of lava hides other parts of it (upper right).
During their field work, HVO geologists collect lava samples along the fissure 8 channel to learn more about the inner workings of the eruption. This sample is a lightweight, frothy basaltic pumice, called reticulite, which is produced by lava fountains.
