HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – Kilauea’s spattering summit lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu has maintained a relatively high level over the past few months.

On Tuesday, the lake surface was measured at 80 feet below the adjacent crater floor, and spattering in the lake was visible from the public overlook within the national park.

Sherry Bracken interviewed USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Tim Orr a few weeks ago about the current summit eruption.

USGS scientists note that although the summit lava level is high, the fantastic spattering at the lava lake – like that recorded this evening – it is still within the range of normal variation.

(USGS photo) The lake level has been slowly rising over the past week, and spattering has been visible from the Jaggar Overlook over the past few days. This photograph was taken closer to the lake, on the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, in an area closed to the public due to volcanic hazards.