Lava replaces water lake / VolcanoDiscovery

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Kilauea volcano

Shield volcano 1277 m (4,190 ft)
Hawai’i, 19.41°N / -155.29°W
Current status: erupting (4 out of 5)

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Kilauea volcano eruptions:
Near-continuous eruptions. Since 1960: 1961 (4x), 1962, 1963 (2x), 1965 (2x), 1967-68, 1968 (2x), 1969, 1969-74, 1971 (2x), 1973 (2x), 1974 (3x), 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982 (2x), 1983-2018 (incl. 1986, 1992, 1997, 2007, 2011 (3x)), 2018 (lower east rift zone in Leilani subdivision), 2020 (Dec) – ongoing
Typical eruption style:
Dominantly effusive since 1790, but ~60% explosive over past ~2500 years.

Kilauea volcano tours:

Hawaii – Birthplace of Islands (14 days walking and study tour to Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawai’i)

Dream Come True – World Volcano Tour (4-week round-the-world trip to Hawaii – Vanuatu – New Zealand – Indonesia)

Pele´s Fire and Myths (7 days walking tour exploring Kilauea´s historic eruption sites, Hawai’i)

Latest satellite images

Sentinel hub | Landsat 8

Kilauea volcano sat by (C) NASA

Kilauea volcano sat by (C) NASA

 

Volcano news & updates: Kilauea volcano (Big Island, Hawaii)

Kilauea volcano update: Lava replaces water lake

Mon, 21 Dec 2020, 18:28

18:28 PM | BY: T

Image of the Halema'uma'u crate with the approx. location of the new vents (image: HVO)

Image of the Halema’uma’u crate with the approx. location of the new vents (image: HVO)

Annotated aerial image of the caldera as on 29 May 2020 for orientation and comparison (image: HVO)

Annotated aerial image of the caldera as on 29 May 2020 for orientation and comparison (image: HVO)

The volcano observatory posted a vertical image with the approximate location of the new vents, 3 in total, on the lower NW walls of the Halema’uma’u pit crater.

In the attached image, “the red spots are the approximate locations of fissure vents feeding lava flowing into the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

The water lake at the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater has been replaced with a growing lava lake. Lava coverage is deeper by 10 m (32 ft) or larger and bigger in extent than the water in this photo (base map is from imagery collected on September 23, 2020). The easternmost vent is currently exhibiting fountains up to approximately 50 m (164 ft) high with minor fountaining on the west side. Occasion blasts of uncertain origin are occurring from lava lake surface.” (HVO / USGS update)

Link to USGS / HVO multimedia material

Previous news
View of the eruptive site in the morning from the western rim of the Halema'uma'u collapse crater (image: HVO webcam)
As dawn breaks over Kilauea volcano, some details about the new eruption can be seen: the new vents are eruptive fissures in the western and northwestern lower walls of the pit crater. They produce low lava fountains that feed flows that have been creating a pool of lava at the bottom of the crater. read all

USGS posted the following summary with interesting information about the activity at the volcano during the weeks preceding today’s new eruption: … read all

Lava fountains from the bottom of the deep pit crater in Kilauea's Halema'uma crater, from the west rim of the collapse crater (image: HVO)
Livecam imagery shows what seems to be lava fountaining from vents at the bottom of the Halema’uma’u pit crater, where the water lake had been until yesterday. … read all

Glow from Kilauea's Halema'uma'u crater
The eruption which has started about 2 hours ago inside the summit caldera is now producing a strong glow from the Haleama’uma’u crater. read all

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