Aerial view of west flank of Pu`u`O`o, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i

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Photograph by C. Heliker, January 31, 1997

View is northeast toward Pu`u `O`o cone two days after its west rim collapsed to form a wide gap. Material from the gap toppled both into the main crater and into the "Great Pit," a large pit on the west flank that was engulfed during the collapse. The crater floor, previously 60 m below the low point in on the rim, dropped to a level 210 m below the rim! This brought the crater floor to about 65 m below the pre-1983 surface.

The collapse produced a spectacular red rock-dust deposit that blanketed a broad area (note red color of flows in foreground). The red dust was derived from oxidized tephra forming the wall of the crater. The main trajectory of the deposit was southward. The thickness of the deposit was about 0.5 cm at the base of the cone.