Kīlauea Caldera After a Soaking Rain

Rainwater drains into the porous lava rock where it is heated into steam and returns to the surface. The gas plume in the background is from the eruptive vent in Halemaʻumaʻu crater. After dark there is often a bright red glow in the vent from the lava lake that is usually 260-380 feet (80-155 meters) below the crater floor. The best viewing is from the Jaggar Museum overlook.