The dark lava flows at the far NW end of Fernandina caldera were emplaced in August 1978. An eruption beginning on August 8 produced an eruption cloud 4.5-6 km high. This was followed by the emplacement of a large lava flow from a 1-km-long fissure system on the NW caldera bench that flowed into the caldera lake. Lava fountaining was observed during visits to the caldera rim, on August 10-13 and 16-19. The eruption had ended by the 26th. Fresh lava flows in the foreground mantle the surface of the prominent SE caldera bench.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1978 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Fernandina