As of about 4:45 a.m. HST on Dec. 22, HVO field crew noted that the lava lake rose 3 meters in 3.5 hours. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

(BIVN) – The new eruption continues at the summit of Kīlauea, and the new lava lake continues to deepen.

As of Tuesday morning, the lake surface is was 1,598 feet below the crater rim observation site, where scientists have been monitoring the progression of the eruption since it Sunday evening. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimates the lake has filled 440 ft. of the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater. “This is more than double the depth of the water lake that was in the crater until the evening of Dec. 20 when it was vaporized,” the scientists reported.

HVO field crews noted early this morning that the lava lake rose 3 meters in 3.5 hours.

“Fountaining continues at two locations, more vigorously at eastern vent, and both vents continue to feed the growing lava lake,” HVO noted.

This preliminary thermal map shows that the new lava lake is 580 m (yd) E-W axis and 320 m (yd) in N-S axis. The lake area is about 13.6 hectares (33 acres). USGS map by M. Patrick.

A helicopter overflight on Monday helped scientists produce a new thermal map showing the location of the new lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu.