Crosses warm fifty year old lava with steam issuing from cracks in the earth caused by rainwater that has percolated and boiled. Also, fissures created from the eruption. I think we were a bit off trail here.

When molten lava drained back into the vent, the lake’s crust collapsed 50 feet or more. As it dropped into deeper parts of the crater, the rigid crust buckled and cracked, creating the uneven rocky ridges you see here.

Today, the crater floor continues to subside about 3/4 inch per year as the hot interior of the lava lake slowly cools and contracts.