Fresh Lava Flows Surround Pu'u 'O'o

Since it began in 1983, the eruption of Kilauea Volcano has usually been centered at Pu’u ’O’o. Gray and brown lava flows radiate from the crater, the varying shades due to differences in weathering, composition, and the lava’s initial temperature. Photographs of Pu’u ’O’o from the United States Geological Survey reveal the remarkable variety of colors and textures in the lava. The overlapping flows form a record of the evolving eruption. The extent of change since early September is remarkable.

This natural-color satellite image (top), acquired by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) on October 29, 2011, shows the recent lava flows. On September 21, 2011, a fissure opened in the flank of Pu’u ’O’o, draining a lava pond and spawning an ’a’a flow: thick lava that moves relatively slowly and hardens into rough blocks.

Over the next few days, the narrow ’a’a flow reached 3,400 meters (11,000 feet) from the vent, before petering out. More recently, gray pahoehoe lava (more fluid than ’a’a) covered most of the dark a’a’ flow. In a false-color image that combines shortwave infrared, near infrared, and green light (above, lower), the fresh lava is bright red, an indication that it was active at the time the satellite flew overhead.