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

Lava flow

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A lava flow moves on Makamae Street in the Leilani Estates on May 6.

Summit lava lake

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

This May 6 photo shows Kilauea's summit, which holds a lake of lava. Since Pu'u 'Ō'ō's increased activity, this lava lake has dropped significantly, the USGS said.[Read more about Kilauea's 2018 eruption here]

Volcano spatter

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists monitor the eruption in the Leilani Estates, a residential neighborhood affected by Mount Kilauea's rumbling activity. This photo, taken on May 6, shows spatter (blobs of lava that were thrown into the air) from a volcanic fissure on Leilani Avenue.

Spatter sample

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A geologist from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory collects a sample of lava spatter for analysis on May 6.

Panoramic view

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A panoramic view of fissure 7 taken from the intersection of Leilani and Makamae streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision on May 5.

[Read more about Kilauea's 2018 eruption here]

Red hot lava

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Lava covered the road and forest near fissure 7 on May 5.

Cracked road

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A crack appeared on Pohoiki Road in the Leilani Estates subdivision on May 5.

Road block

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

Fissure 7 spewed out lava that slowly advanced on Hookupu Street in the Leilani Estates on May 5.

Thermal map

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

This map shows a mosaic of thermal images collected during a helicopter flight over the fissures at Leilani Estates on May 5. The map is a satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe. The white areas on the dark image indicate the hottest areas, with fissure 7 (F7) showing the most heat from its lava flow.

Fissure fire

Kilauea Volcano Eruption

(Image credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

A new fissure erupted with a small spattering of lava on the evening of May 5. Later that night, lava fountains as high as 230 feet (70 meters) were erupting from the fissure.

[Read more about Kilauea's 2018 eruption here]

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.