Photo and Video Chronology – Kīlauea – March 18, 2021

By Kīlauea March 18, 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.

March 17, 2021 - Halema‘uma‘u

Active lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano — On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2021, a rainbow was observed adjacent to the active lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. This photo was taken around 11:00 a.m. HST from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater. In the nearly three months since the eruption started on December 20, 2020, the active surface of the lava lake has risen to approximately 222 m (728 ft). USGS Photo by J. Chang.

March 15, 2021 - Thermal video of Halema‘uma‘u lava lake

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

This thermal video shows the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Lava is supplied from the western fissure, in the upper left portion of the video. Small vent openings atop the western fissure exhibit rhythmic gas puffing. The video is shown at 5x speed.