Storm in the Lava LakeIn July 2006 a big fountain was permanently active on the lake's northern shore generating waves up to 10 meters high. All photos below were taken with a 500mm telephoto mirror lens and digital camera (equivalent focal length of 750mm on 24x36mm film). The vertical scale of theses images is about 25 m. | |||
 23 July 2006. A fountain lifts and drags a slab of dark crust, which is folded like a piece of fabric. |  Zoom showing thin crust left behind when a thicker piece is dragged away. |  23 July 2006. Bubbles rise on the lake's North shore and explode blue gas. |  Magnified section from the left image showing incandescent Pele's hair. |
 23 July 2006. A fountain shatters the dark crust and opens cracks from which blue gas puffs are ejected. |  23 July 2006. Bubbles on the northern lake shore: Note the big spherical one on the right. |  Each time a fountain rises from the lake, a 10 m tall wave splashes on to the shore at left. |  Another chimney-like fountain agitates the lake surface and generates waves on the shore at left. |
 22 July 2006 from the S rim. A bubble seen exactly at the moment when its top explodes. |  22 July 2006, night-time view. At this moment, this bubble is formed by filaments of yellow lava. |  22 July. A network of darker lava connects the surface of an exploding lava bubble. |  22 July. Lava clots a bit less hot appear dark against hotter material in the background. |