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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.
This Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo from Tuesday, February 9 shows the active western portion of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake. The western fissure continues to supply lava to the lava lake from an inlet at the base of the spatter cone (upper-left). For scale, the distance from the lava inlet to the edge of the main island is approximately 160 m (525 ft). USGS has special use permits from the National Park Service to conduct official UAS missions as part of HVO's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruptions. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.
This Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo from Tuesday, February 9, shows the main island in the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake. The lake surface on the eastern (lower-center) side of the island has been stagnant and crusted over recently. The western fissure that has been feeding the lava lake is visibly degassing in the background. For scale, the island stretches approximately 285 m (935 ft) from end-to-end. USGS has special use permits from the National Park Service to conduct official UAS missions as part of HVO's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruptions. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.
This Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) photo from Tuesday, February 9, shows the stagnant, crusted-over eastern portion of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake. This photo is looking to the east, towards the easternmost end of the lake, with the active western fissure behind and out-of-view. For scale, the small island in the center of the photo is approximately 50 m (164 ft) in length. USGS has special use permits from the National Park Service to conduct official UAS missions as part of HVO's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruptions. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is prohibited under 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.
This video clip from February 4, 2021, shows the erupting west vent and the growing lava lake within Halema'uma'u. The start of this video focuses on the active western portion of the lava lake, which measured approximately 212 m (696 ft) deep at this time. A plume of volcanic gas is seen rising continuously from the west vent. USGS has special use permits from the National Park Service to conduct official UAS missions as part of HVO's mission to monitor active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruptions. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is prohibited 36 CFR Closures & Public Use.
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