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Photo and Video Chronology – Kīlauea – January 22, 2021

January 22, 2021

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.

Color photograph of volcanic vent and lava lake
Between overcast and rainy weather, HVO field crews took this photo at 3:34 p.m. HST on January 21, 2021, from the south side of Kīlauea's summit caldera. The photo shows Halema‘uma‘u's active west vent, which overflowed its tubed-over lower half at 2:51 p.m. HST that afternoon.  It then proceeded to create a pāhoehoe flow (the lighter gray in the photo with a orange, molten leading edge to the east) that flowed to the east around the large rafted island in the middle of the lava lake. USGS photo by D. Downs.

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