Courtesy: USGSHAWAII - South winds permitted clear views into the south portion of the Hawaii's Overlook crater, which is often obscured by thick fume. The bright orange area is the location where lava at the surface of the lake sinks back into the system, with spattering and degassing common in this area. A broad ledge of recently deposited lava occupies much of the south portion of the crater.
Spattering is common in the area where lava sinks back into the system, and this photo shows these processes are occurring in a small grotto. In the right portion of the photo, the ledge occupying much of the south part of the Overlook crater is visible.
Parallel lines along the front face of this ledge might appear at first glance to be layering within the ledge, but are actually thin deposits of lava that mark recent levels of the lava lake, much like bathtub rings.
