Lakes or ponds of basaltic lava which may persist for months or years are intriguing aspects of basaltic volcanism. Persistent lava lakes may be established within a preexisting crater if sustained by convective circulation with a deeper reservoir. This situation persisted within the Halemaumau crater during much of the 19th century. The 100 m diameter Kupaianaha lava pond, seen here, represents a different situation, where lava supplied at a steady rate of about 5 cubic meters per second from the nearby Pu'u O'o vent ponded on an area of flat topography, to form a constantly replenished 'holding tank,' which was constantly drained by a series of lava tubes which debouched on the Pacific coast 12 km distant. Only a small amount of gas can be seen; most was vented from Pu'u O'o. The shifting patches of chilled, plastic crust and glowing incandescent lava provide instructive analogs of lithospheric plate motions. (Fig. 6.9).

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