The Lava Lake Returns to Kilauea

Kilauea summit lava lake at a depth of 515 ft (156 m) taken 8 a.m. Dec. 23. USGS photo by H. Dietterich By Allison Kubo Hutchison On December 20, 2020, at about 9:30 PM, Halema'uma'u Crater, the traditional home of the goddess Pele, hosted the first eruption of the Kilauea volcano since going silent in August 2018. Lava erupted from three vents in the crater's sides and vaporized a small lake that had formed in the base of the crater. But a new lake began forming, a lake of lava. Before the erup...