What’s happening at Kīlauea Volcano’s summit?

Kīlauea Volcano’s summit has been in an eruptive pause since the 2018 events ended over a year ago. Nevertheless, it remains a dynamic place. Ongoing inflation and seismicity indicate that the summit magma chamber is gradually recharging. A water lake, unprecedented in the written historical record, appeared at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u in late July 2019 and has steadily risen. What are the potential hazards at Kīlauea’s summit? Could explosive activity return? What is known about the water lake? How is it monitored? Join USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists Matt Patrick and Tricia Nadeau as they answer these questions and more.

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USGS photo: Crater lake within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea on 10/19/2019.