Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - September 18, 2020

By Kīlauea September 18, 2020

Vibrant color variations at Kīlauea's summit water lake

Color photograph of volcanic lake — Color variations are common at Kīlauea's summit water lake, and are usually dominated by tan and brown hues. Today, the interaction between different color zones produced a large swirl in the center of the lake.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

This video shows a close-up of the northern shoreline of the water lake at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. Steaming and subtle ripples are present on the water surface. Zooming out gives a sense of the scale of the lake. The lake level is approximately 576 meters (1890 ft) below the camera. USGS video by M. Patrick.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

The color zones on the lake surface shift from minute to minute. This video shows how the color zones were creating a large swirl in the lake center. USGS video by M. Patrick.