USGS: USGS scientists captured this stunning aerial photo of Halema‘uma‘u and part of the Kīlauea caldera floor during a helicopter overflight of Kīlauea’s summit this morning. In the lower third of the image, you can see the buildings that housed the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Jaggar Museum, the museum parking area, and a section of the Park’s Crater Rim Drive. Although recent summit explosions have produced little ash, the drab gray landscape is a result of multiple thin layers of ash that have blanketed the summit area during the ongoing explosions.

(BIVN) – At 7:08 p.m. on Friday evening, another collapse explosion event occurred at Kīlauea’s summit. The energy released by the event was equivalent to a Magnitude 5.3 earthquake, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.

Following the summit collapse explosion, there was an increase in activity from Fissure 8, miles away on the lower East Rift Zone, “resulting in channel overflows on the south side of the flow near the vent,” USGS said.

The pulse of lava from Fissure 8 following a summit collapse explosion has become an expected pattern in recent days.

Inward slumping of the rim and walls of Halemaʻumaʻu continues in response to the ongoing subsidence at the summit. Earthquakes have been constant.

On Sunday, July 15, representatives from the University of Hawaii Sea Grant will be staffing an information table at the Volcano Farmer’s Market from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. They will be discussing structural seismic retrofits and distributing information booklets, county officials say.

The Department of Health will also be staffing a booth to answer questions about eruption related issues. “Please attend if you live in the area or want to discuss your concerns with these agency representatives,” Hawaii County Civil Defense said.