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New Kilauea photos show hornito, active lava pond

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Colorful sulfur deposits formed recently around one of the cracks on the floor of Puu Oo Crater.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist collects spatter deposited around the base of the hornito for geochemical analysis.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

This photograph was taken from the western pit at Puu Oo, and shows the small lava pond (roughly 66 feet in diameter) contained within the pit.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

A hornito recently formed over the lava tube on the north flank of Puu Oo, at the spot of the breakout that occurred on November 25.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

This view of Puu Oo is to the southwest. In the foreground, the circular lava pond that was active in July 2014 is visible. The lava tube feeding the active flows on the June 27th lava flow is evident by the line of white fume sources extending off the right side of the photograph.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Scattered breakouts remain active northeast of Puu Oo,with the farthest active lava 3.7 miles from the vent on Tuesday. Much of the activity is at or near the forest boundary, creating numerous areas of burning. This view looks southwest, with Puu Oo visible in the upper left portion of the image.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

This view of Puu Oo is looking northwest. The inner, deeper crater formed in mid-2014 following the opening of the June 27th vent, and occasional small flows on the crater floor are evident by their dark color. The smaller, circular pit in the west portion of the crater has contained a small, active lava pond in recent months.

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USGS / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Incandescence was visible in the small pit that formed recently on the upper northeast flank of Puu Oo.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists released new photos this week from Puu Oo vent, including a recently-formed hornito, colorful sulfur deposits near a lava crack and an active lava pond.

Scientists visited the crater Tuesday to take samples and measurements.

Among the new images released is a hornito, a spatter cone formed when lava accumulates over an opening in a lava flow. The recently-formed hornito is over a lava tube on the north flank of Puu Oo, near a breakout that started on Nov. 25. It resembles a misshapen Christmas tree on a hill.

Another photo shows yellow and green sulfur deposits around a lava crack on the crater floor.

Geologists also took pictures of a lava pond in Puu Oo crater that measures around 66 feet in diameter. Lava can be seen spattering in the pond, located in a pit on the west side of the crater. Glow from lava is also visible in another photo of a lava pit on the northeast flank of Puu Oo.

A photo taken from a helicopter shows a lava flow from Puu Oo that is burning forest northeast of Puu Oo. The flow extends 3.7 miles from the crater and is not threatening any populated areas.

3 responses to “New Kilauea photos show hornito, active lava pond”

  1. mikethenovice says:

    Looks the same to over the last million years. I’ll come back in another million years.

  2. Hitaxpayer says:

    The VOG from that is killing me

  3. Ken_Conklin says:

    Looks like Madame Pele ate something that didn’t agree with her.

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