Lower East Rift Zone UAS flights assist with remote data collection, lava flow mapping, and hazard assessment
This footage is from an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) hovering near fissure 22 during the overnight hours of May 22, 2018, and looking down on the fountaining fissure complex. The view rotates upward (to the south) to track channelized lava as it flows toward the Pacific Ocean, about 3 mi (5 km) away. The ocean entry is in the distance, recognizable by a small plume. The USGS National Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office is assisting with remote data collection and mapping of lava flows and hazards. UAS flights into hazardous areas allow USGS scientists to safely view, document, and better understand what's happening with Kīlauea's rapidly changing eruption and to provide information to Hawai‘i County Civil Defense and emergency officials. Video courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Aviation Services.