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Kīlauea's summit eruption continues on the Island of Hawai‘i; the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u erupts lava into the lava lake. Gas emissions and seismic activity at the summit remain elevated. HVO field crews—equipped with specialized safety gear and PPE—monitor the current eruption from within the closed area of Hawai&lsq
HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand how the eruption is evolving at Kīlauea's summit, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
A wide aerial photo of the active lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u crater taken during a Kīlauea summit overflight on February 9, 2021. This view, looking west, shows the active west vent degassing (center). Mauna Loa Volcano is visible in the background with a snow-covered summit. USGS photo taken by B. Carr.
An aerial view of the Halema‘uma‘u crater lava lake on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 as viewed from the south during a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea summit. Lava continues to erupt and enter into the lava lake from the inlet at the base of the west vent, which is visibly incandescent on the left in the photo. Only the western part of the lake surface remains active within a perched margin that is a few meters above the rest of the inactive lake surface. USGS photo taken by B. Carr.
A zoomed-in aerial view of the active west vent in Halema‘uma‘u crater taken during the helicopter overflight on February 9. Lava erupted from the west vent continues to enter the active lava lake through an inlet at the base of the cone. SO2 emission rates remain elevated and were measured at 2,200 t/d on February 1. USGS photo taken by B. Carr.