Our first clear view of the crater. We would walking between those two lava islands shortly.

With no outlet from the crater, lava flooded Kīlauea Iki. During the first episode alone, 68 million tons of lava poured into the crater, creating a lake several hundred feet deep. By the time the eruption ended on December 20, another 18 million tons of lava were added to the crater, increasing the lake depth to over 400 feet.