(BIVN) – No incandescent lava was visible in the fissure 8 cone during the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory morning overflight Monday. A photo of the vent located in Leilani Estates was posted to the USGS website today (image below).

USGS reported on Saturday that the Hawaii County Fire Department observed a small lava pond, deep within the fissure 8 cone, during an overflight. The threat from passing Hurricane Lane prevented the scientists from making any additional observations.

Today, that lava pond was apparently gone. Instead, steam persists on the cone and flow field, USGS said, “due to heavy rainfall over the past several days from water seeping into still-hot rock.”

Only one small ocean entry near Ahalanui was visible during this morning’s overflight, USGS added.

Over the past few weeks, Kilauea Volcano has been quiet, with seismicity and ground deformation at the summit and the lower East Rift Zone reported as “negligible”. Sulfur dioxide emission rates have also been drastically reduced.

UPDATE – From the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Monday: