USGS: “A helicopter overflight on June 7, 2023, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The overflight happened about two hours after the start of the new eruption at the summit, and eruptive activity consisted of lava fountaining and lava lake activity. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures.”

(BIVN) – The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Thursday morning lowered the Kīlauea Alert Level from WARNING to WATCH, and the Aviation Color Code from RED to ORANGE, as the summit eruption continues.

From the USGS HVO statement issued at 8:37 a.m. on Thursday, June 8th:

HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WARNING to WATCH because the initial high effusion rates have declined, and no infrastructure is threatened. Associated hazards are confined to the closed area established by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s aviation color code from RED to ORANGE because there is currently no threat of significant volcanic ash emission into the atmosphere outside of the hazardous closed area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The eruption plume continues to rise to the base of the inversion level at about 8,000-10,000 feet above sea level as it did yesterday. The plume is largely composed of sulfur dioxide gas and minor volcanic particles, but in lower concentrations due to the drop in effusion rate. Hazards associated with the eruption are limited and are described below.

Kīlauea’s summit eruption is expected to continue and remain confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  HVO does not see any indication of activity migrating elsewhere on Kīlauea volcano and expects the eruption to remain confined to the summit region.

HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and report any significant changes in future notices.