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This video was taken during a recent overflight of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano's middle East Rift Zone. No major changes were observed at the crater, but its shape continues to be altered by small rockfalls within it.
This 3D model of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater was constructed from thermal images taken during a recent helicopter overflight. White areas show warm spots in the crater. Despite the absence of active lava in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, changes at the crater have continued since magma drained from beneath it on April 30, 2018. The shape of the crater continues to change through occasional small collapses within it.
Following the draining of magma from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō on April 30, 2018, the crater was roughly 356 meters (1168 feet) deep. The upper part of the crater was flaring, with the deepest portion a narrower cylindrical shaft. Rockfalls from the crater walls have enlarged portions of the crater, while rockfall debris has filled in the deepest portions, creating a much different crater geometry today. Today, the deepest portion of the crater is 286 meters (938 feet).
