Images Show New Lava Lake in Comparison to Previous Water Lake

(USGS) Kīlauea summit KW webcam has captured the recent changes to the summit. The first image, taken on December 20, 2020, just before 6 p.m. HST shows the water lake that was present until Sunday evening. At 9:30 p.m. on December 20, an eruption began in the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, vaporizing the lake. The second image, taken December 24, 2020, just after 6:30 a.m. HST shows that the water lake has been replaced by a lava lake; fissures in the wall of Halemaʻumaʻu feed a lava lake that continues to fill the crater. Original photos by USGS Photos combined by Hawaii Tracker - Ryan Finlay