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USGS images of Kilauea’s fissures and flows in July

By U.S. Geological Survey

July 27, 2018

2018 Volcanoes

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Overflows from the fissure 8 lava channel may have ignited this fire on Halekamahina, an older cinder-and-spatter cone to the west of Kapoho Crater, July 28.
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A collapse event at Kilauea's summit occurred on June 28. It was similar in character to previous collapse events, releasing energy equivalent to a magnitude-5.3 earthquake.
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Aerial view (looking east) of the fissure 8 lava channel, July 27. The dark-colored crust and incandescent cracks on the channel result from the cooling of exposed lava at the surface and movement within the lava channel.
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Fissure 8 continues to erupt lava into the channel leading northeastward from the vent, July 26.
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At the coast, the lava flow in the Ahalanui area remains less than 0.1 miles from the Pohoiki boat ramp at Isaac Hale Park (left of center in this photo), July 26.
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Several small lobes of lava were oozing out from crusted ‘a‘ā flows along the southern ocean entry, July 25.
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Good weather allowed for this clear view of Kilauea's summit from HVO's observation point on the northeast caldera rim, July 25.
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Lava was approximately 475 feet from the boat ramp at Isaac Hale Park, July 25.
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Fissure 8 lava channel as viewed on July 24. The robust volcanic gas plume in the far distance was rising from the fissure 8 vent.
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Lava continued to enter the sea near Ahalanui on July 23. The southern margin of the flow was still about 500 meters from the boat ramp at Isaac Hale Park.
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Collapse of KIlauea's caldera floor has exposed South Sulphur Bank, July 22. The flat top of the white deposit shows how high the caldera fill reached.
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Fissure 8 continues to erupt, feeding a channel that carries lava to the coast. This aerial image captured on July 22 shows the erupting vent (center) and near-vent part of the channel.
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This aerial view, looking to the southwest, shows the most vigorous ocean entry of the fissure 8 flow, July 21.
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Fissure 8 continues to erupt lava into the channel heading northeastward from the vent, July 21. Near Kapoho Crater (lower left), the channel turns south, sending lava toward the coast, where it enters the ocean.
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The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) team prepares for their overnight flights of fissure 8 and the upper lava channel, July 21.
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Near the center of the photo, a section of the former Crater Rim Drive on KIlauea's caldera floor is just barely visible, July 20. That section of road has been chopped off by the crater just east of where it fed the former Halemaumau visitor overlook parking lot.
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USGS scientists captured this view showing three of the five volcanoes that comprise Big Island: Mauna Loa (distant upper left), Mauna Kea (distant right), and Kilauea (foreground), July 20.
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An aerial view of the southernmost ocean entry lava lobe, July 20.
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This HVO geologist is standing on tephra (airborne lava fragments, such as Pele's hair) that was erupted from and deposited downwind of the fissure 8 vent, July 19.
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Volcanic gases rising from the fissure 8 vent and lava channel feed a pyrocumulonimbus cloud above the tephra cone, July 19.
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An aerial view looking to the west, near the braided section of the fissure 8 lava channel, July 19.
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An aerial view looking south, with the fissure 8 lava channel on the west side of Kapoho Crater, visible at left, July 19.
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Numerous rockfalls have occurred within Halemaumau and along Kilauea's summit caldera walls, July 19, stirring up existing ash deposits and rock dust, and creating sounds that, at times, could be heard from the northeast rim of the caldera.
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As of July 19, the southern margin of the fissure 8 ocean entry was about 500 m (0.3 mi) from the boat ramp at Isaac Hale Park.
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An increase in lava supply overnight produced several lava channel overflows that threatened homes on Nohea Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision; farther downstream, lava overflowed both sides of the channel. On July 18, the overflows had stalled. For scale, a person's leg and boot are just visible on the right center edge of this photo.
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The fissure 8 cone (right) and proximal lava channel were partially obscured by volcanic gas emissions, July 18.
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Scientists used a telephoto lens to photograph the surface of the fissure 8 lava channel, July 17. Incandescent lava is visible through pieces of darker crust that forms as the flow surface cools.
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USGS scientists captured this image of sunrise above Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone, July 17. Fissure 8 continues to feed a channelized lava flow that reaches the ocean, forming a large plume at the coast (upper right).
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A scientist takes video of lava as it exits the fissure 8 cinder cone, July 16. The video helps document lava flow behavior, including flow velocity and cooling characteristics, as well as changes to the lava channel.
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A radar gun, similar to that used in traffic enforcement, is one way that the approximate speed of lava can be measured as it exits the fissure 8 vent. At the time of this measurement, the flow velocity averaged 18 miles per hour, July 16.
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An aerial view of Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone taken during HVO's early morning overflight, July 16.
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A USGS geologist services a camera that captures time-lapse images of Kilauea's summit caldera and Halemaumau, July 15.
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Laze plume rises where lava pours into the sea on the south margin of the fissure 8 flow, July 15.
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View of fissure 8 looking uprift toward the west, July 15. The open lava channel in upper right leads to the ocean.
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Early morning view of fissure 8 and lava channel looking toward the east, July 14. Laze plume from the ocean entry is visible in distance.
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White laze plumes mark locations where lava enters the ocean over a broad area, July 14. An open lava channel flows into the ocean at the southern-most plume (middle) near the southern flow margin.
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A tiny new island of lava has formed on the northernmost part of the ocean entry, July 13.
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This aerial image shows the fissure 8 vent (near center), channelized flow, and distant ocean entry (upper right), July 13.
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Sink holes (dark spots to right of large tree) are beginning to form along fractures beneath the field of tephra that has formed downwind of fissure 8, July 13.
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USGS scientists captured this stunning aerial photo of Halemaumau and part of the Kilauea caldera floor, July 13.
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Aerial view toward the west from directly above Kapoho Crater, July 12. After being blocked and diverted, the fissure 8 lava channel now bends sharply to the south on the western edge of the crater.
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View of the fissure 8 lava channel looking toward the southeast, July 12. Fume in the center left is rising from overflows where the lava channel bends to the south before reaching Kapoho Crater.
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In this aerial view looking to the north, a robust ocean entry plume can be seen rising from just offshore of Ahalanui Beach Park, which was inundated with lava on July 11. Beyond this entry, a more diffuse plume from the ocean entry at Kapoho is visible (upper right).
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A pahoehoe flow fed by overflows from the fissure 8 lava channel was active along Nohea Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision, July 11.
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During an overflight on July 11, the Hawaii County Fire Department captured this image looking east toward Kapoho Crater. A breakout from the south margin of the main fissure 8 channel is sending a lava flow west of the crater. The flow is advancing to the south toward Ahalanui.
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A screenshot of an aerial image captured by a MavicPro drone above the fissure 8 lava channel, July 11. Overflows from the channel were threatening homes along Nohea and Luana Streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision.
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Aerial view of the ocean entry at Kapoho, July 11. Cape Kumukahi (with lighthouse) is in the foreground, and Kapoho Crater is in the upper right.
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This aerial shot taken July 10 shows the dramatic difference in landscapes on the northern and southern sides of the fissure 8 lava channel. Dominant trade winds blow heat and volcanic gases to the southwest where vegetation has been severely impacted and appears brown and yellow.
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This aerial view of Kapoho Crater looks toward the south-southeast. Part of the lava channel became blocked just upstream of Kapoho Crater on July 9, diverting flows to the west and then south around the crater.
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Fissure 8 and a full lava channel as seen July 10. The visible road is Nohea Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision. Steam generated from heated rain water rose.
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This view from Bryson's quarry July 9 looks uprift past Halekamahina to fissure 8, which is creating the glow behind the cone. Bright areas indicate incandescent lava, with the brightest areas showing the trace of the lava channel.
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Fissure 8 and Leilani Estates viewed from the south, July 9. Houses in the foreground are located in the southern portion of Leilani Estates.
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The lower section of the fissure 8 lava channel appears to be almost completely crusted over, and the lava level in the channel was lower on July 9.
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Lava entering the ocean as seen through steam and rain, July 9.
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Lava still oozes from the northern edge of the ‘a‘ā flow near the lighthouse at Cape Kumukahi (upper right), July 8. Smoke from burning vegetation marks location of lava oozeouts.
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Fissure 8 (lower right) and open lava channel leading to the northeast, July 8. The small steam plumes in distance mark locations of fissures that erupted in early May at the beginning of the ongoing eruption.
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Braided section of the lava channel located "downstream" between about 2.2 to 3.7 miles from fissure 8 (upper right), July 8. The width of the two channels in the middle center is about 1,065 feet.
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Multiple ocean entries were active, July 8, each contributing to the prominent "laze" plume above the area.
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View of the partially filled Kapoho Crater and the open lava channel where it makes a 90-degree turn around the crater, July 8. The open channel no longer directly enters the ocean.
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For several years, a special ultraviolet camera has been located near Keanakākoʻi Crater at Kīlauea's summit. The camera was capable of detecting SO2 gas coming from Halema‘uma‘u crater. On July 7, the camera was removed because there is very little SO2 to measure at the summit. In addition, cracking near Keanakākoʻi Crater was making access difficult.
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Dawn at fissure 8, July 6.
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Close view of the "end" of the open lava channel where lava moves beneath the crusted ‘a‘ā flow, July 8.
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Ocean entry in Kapoho as viewed from a helicopter overflight, July 6.
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Near the Kapoho Crater, in the area called Four Corners, the lava channel makes a 90-degree bend, July 5. After lava exits the bend, it makes a short drop to form a lavafall. A side channel makes a short surface diversion before rejoining the existing channel.
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Rocks generate brown dust as they tumble down the western caldera wall during the collapse explosion event, July 5.
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Lava, from small overflows, cools and congeals along the banks of the lava channel to build lava levees, July 5. The levees also build up as moving lava pushes cooled crust over the edge.
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Fisheye lens photograph of a USGS geologist making observations of the fissure 8 lava channel at sunset, July 3.
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USGS scientist observes the glow of fissure 8 fountain and channel within Leilani Estates, July 4. Steam rises from cracks and hot spots within the tephra deposit surrounding the cone.
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This view of fissure 8 and the upper lava channel shows roiling lava fountains remaining within the cinder cone and a flowing incandescent channel, July 3. The black jigsaw-like features in the lower center, are pieces of cooled lava crust flowing on the surface of the channel.
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This is an aerial image of fissure 8 looking east, July 4. Below the prominent fissure 8 cone, smaller vents above the original fissure emit volcanic gas.
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The lava channel from fissure 8 jumped its banks near Kapoho Crater where the channel makes a 90 degree bend, July 4. The flow within the channel was diverted around a constricted area and joined the channel again "downstream" to the south (left).
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Near the coast, the northern margin of the flow field is still oozing pasty lava at several points in the area of Kapoho Agricultural and Beach Lots, July 4.
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