What's going down in Hawaiʻi? One month ago Kīlauea volcano's summit lava lake was at the rim of the Overlook crater (the small crater in the center of the photo), spilling lava onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater (the larger crater that fills much of the photo), creating the dark flows surrounding the Overlook crater. Since that time the lava lake has dropped, associated with summit deflation, and in this June 9 photo the lake level was about 60 meters (200 feet) below the Overlook crater rim. The stack of recent overflows is visible on the wall of the Overlook crater as the layer of dark lava atop the older, light colored lava forming the majority of the Overlook crater wall. Two days ago, the summit began inflating again (these ups and downs are very typical at Kilauea) and as of yesterday, June 17, the lake level had risen to about 35-40 m (115-130 ft) below the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu. For the most up to date information, photos, and videos, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website: hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
The photo is taken from the southeast rim of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. The closed Halemaʻumaʻu overlook is in the upper left corner of the photo. Jaggar Museum and HVO can be seen as a small bump on the horizon in the upper right portion of the photograph.
#usgs #volcanoes #kilauea #lavalake #lava #hawaii
No comments:
Post a Comment