Photos: Fiery Lava from Kilauea Volcano Erupts on Hawaii's Big Island

Steamy 16

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Steam rises from Fissure 16 on May 12.

Red-hot lava

Kilauea Fissure 16

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Lava slowly advances from Fissure 16 on May 12.

Overlook vent

Summit Ash Plume

(Image credit: U.S Geological Survey)

A weak ash plume rises from the Overlook vent in Halema'uma'u crater on May 11. This plume was likely caused by rocks falling into the deepening vent, which contains a lava lake.

Deep crater

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

An aerial view of Pu'u 'Ō'ō crater. The deepest part of the crater is about 1,150 feet (250 meters) below the crater rim. This photo was taken on May 11.

[Read complete coverage of the Kilauea Volcano eruption]

Steaming crack

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A geologist photographs a steaming crack on May 10.

Road damage

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A geologist inspects a crack that has widened over the past day on Old Kalapana Road on May 10.

Ashy plume

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

An ash column rises from the Overlook crater at the summit of Kilauea volcano on May 9. This plume was likely triggered by rocks falling from the steep walls of the crater.

Burned palms

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Severe ground cracks from Fissure 14 in Leilani Estates. This photo was taken May 9.

Fissure 15

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A bird's-eye view of Fissure 15, which cut across Pohoiki Road on May 9.

Rocky road

Kilauea volcano ash plume

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Highway 130 has cracks that were spray-painted orange on May 7. The road was closed for most of the day.

[Read complete coverage of the Kilauea Volcano eruption]

Laura Geggel
Editor

Laura is the archaeology and Life's Little Mysteries editor at Live Science. She also reports on general science, including paleontology. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Scholastic, Popular Science and Spectrum, a site on autism research. She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a master's degree in science writing from NYU.

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