Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

• Kīlauea volcano began erupting on September 29, 2021, at approximately 3:21 p.m. HST in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Lava continues to erupt from a vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. All lava activity is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Seismicity and volcanic gas emission rates remain elevated.

This view of the volcano is available from Devastation Trail, about a 1.75 mile hike from the outer parking lot.

In August 2021, increased earthquake activity and patterns of ground deformation indicated that an intrusion was occurring and magma was moving into an area south of Kīlauea caldera.

However, no eruption occurred, and the shallow Halemaʻumaʻu magma reservoir continued to measure inflation. On September 29, 2021, earthquake activity increased abruptly beneath Halemaʻumaʻu around 2 p.m. HST, and at 3:21 p.m. a series of vents opened in the floor and walls of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, generating a lava lake.

From a distance, one can see that this volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is still active, although it hasn't erupted since May of 2018....

• At the end of Chain of Craters road, walk a short distance along the road to see Hōlei Sea Arch.

This stark lava rock formation is about 90 ft. (27.4 meters) high and extends from the steep sea cliffs into the Pacific Ocean.

This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span. The sea arch will eventually crumble into the sea. However, others will replace it as the cliff slowly migrates inland.

This impressive sea arch was cut into the cliff of an ancient lava flow from about 550 years ago due to "differential erosion", referring the difference in the hardness of various layers of lava.

Layer upon layer, and hundreds of seaside cliffs form the shoreline stretching out into the rugged Pacific Ocean. All of the cliffs along the stretch of the National Park are formed from lava flows that have taken place over the past 700 years, the most recent being in 2018.

Music Trivia - the music video from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game was filmed here.