VIDEO: Kilauea Volcano's West Vent Erupts Lava

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On the evening of December 20, the Kilauea Volcano erupted within Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea's summit.

The US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that three vents were feeding lava into the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, boiling off the water lake that had been growing since summer 2019 and replacing it with a lava lake.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the eruption created a plume that reached 9,144 m in elevation.

On January 8, 2021, the depth of the lava lake had increased to 194 m.

On Thursday the United States Geological Survey posted an update that indicated that the west vent continues to erupt lava and that the lake was 215 m deep.

There has been a recent decrease in depth, likely the result of the lava lake outgassing.