Visual photographs taken during helicopter USGS overflights of Halema‘uma‘u Crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island are used to create 3D models of the crater. This technique is called structure-from-motion photogrammetry and uses the multiple perspectives captured in dozens of photos to reconstruct the crater shape. HVO scientists use these models to help calculate erupted volume, eruption rate, and measure the size of features in the crater.
This fly-through of the March 4, 2021, model focuses on the island in the lava lake, showing the height of the ledges (measured at 7 meters/23 feet) and the height of the island high point above the lake surface (measured at 22 meters/ 72 feet). In the lower right corner, the red “X” line points toward the east and the green “Y” line points north.
The lava lake was 725 feet deep as of this morning.