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KAILUA-KONA — A mid-day overflight on Tuesday found signs of ongoing partial collapse of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kilauea volcano, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Wednesday.
To the north of the former visitor Overlook parking area, which was closed in 2008, is the site of the former lava lake — now a deep hole piled with wall-rock rubble.
The western portion of Halema‘uma‘u has moved down and toward the center of the crater as new cracks form on the caldera floor to the west. Kilauea’s summit continues to subside due to withdrawal of magma toward the volcano’s East Rift Zone.