Breath of Pele - Kilauea Volcano

Nightime view from the observation deck at the Jagger Museum, overlooking the Kilauea Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This image depicts the Halema'uma'u Crater Vent blowing out tons of toxic gasses - at times an estimation of over 10 times than normal (USGS updates) - with lava and/or superheated gasses lighting up the toxic cloud close to the vent. If listened to closely, the vent could literally be heard breathing as it released gas in a pulsating manner. Depending upon the winds, the effects of this gas cloud could be seen locally and across the islands: from the closing of roads within the park (and the closure of the park itself a few weeks before this image was taken), to evacuations of nearby towns, to air quality in and around the Hawaiian Islands, most notably in Kona, where a large amount of 'vog' hovered over the city.