Halemaʻumaʻu is a pit crater within the much larger Kīlauea Caldera at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on island of Hawaiʻi. The roughly circular crater was 770 meters (2,530 ft) x 900 m (2,950 ft) before collapses that roughly doubled the size of the crater after May 3, 2018. Following the collapses of 2018, the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu was roughly 600 m (2,000 ft) below the caldera floor. Halemaʻumaʻu is home to Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes, according to the traditions of Hawaiian religion. Halemaʻumaʻu means "house of the ʻāmaʻu fern".
Halema'uma'u after the 2018 collapse events. The floor of the larger Kīlauea Caldera can be seen at left.
Aerial photo of Halemaʻumaʻu in 2009, showing a white plume being emitted by an active lava lake.
In March 2013, the glow from the lava lake at the bottom was clearly visible after dark.
Halemaʻumaʻu Crater Lake in October 2019, the yellow water is the result of dissolved minerals and sulfur
Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. It is located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island. The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Since the islands were settled it has been the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island.
Kīlauea's Ahu’aila’au cone erupting on the morning of June 28, 2018
Simulated true-color Landsat mosaic
Kīlauea's summit caldera; volcanic gas can be seen rising out of Halemaʻumaʻu, within the caldera (January 2012)
Rainbow and volcanic ash with sulfur dioxide emissions from Halemaʻumaʻu (April 2008)