USGS Installs Mic-Equipped B2cam at Kīlauea, Captures Ambient Sounds Live

USGS volcanologists installed a new camera with an outdoor microphone at Kīlauea summit, putting a live feed with sound online and allowing researchers and the public to hear ambient noises such as wind, agency materials show. Installation completed Thursday, and the agency reported that the "audio functioning well."

Last week, HVO staff installed the webcam known as B2cam on the down-dropped block within Kīlauea caldera and east rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, placing the unit on a ledge about 100 feet (30 meters) higher than the previous camera location. The B2cam provides a low-angle westward view of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor and is positioned farther south than where the B1cam had been.

The B2cam view replaces that of the B1cam, which "was moved east during the June 2023 Halemaʻumaʻu eruption because it was being exposed to intense heat," USGS material states. That relocation followed the June 2023 eruption, and the new placement on the higher ledge seeks to reduce heat exposure while broadening observational angles across the crater floor.

USGS and HVO emphasize the operational purpose of the upgrade, saying the addition of the mic-equipped webcam "enhances real-time monitoring of the volcano's ongoing activity." The camera is streaming live on YouTube, "capturing ambient sounds like wind," providing both continuous visual surveillance and an audio channel that staff report is working well at the time of reporting.

The USGS page for the new B2cam includes a 24-hour animated GIF and color photographs of the installation, credited as "USGS photo by M. Zoeller" and "USGS photo by A. Ellis," with media rights listed as Public Domain. The feed expands online observation options for scientists tracking conditions in and around Halemaʻumaʻu crater and supplies an archival GIF for short-term review.

Several operational details remain to be confirmed: the exact calendar date of the installation referenced as "last week" and "Thursday," the direct YouTube channel or URL for the live stream, GPS coordinates for the camera site, and technical specifications for the camera and microphone. Those items were not provided in the installation notices but will determine how the stream is archived and integrated into ongoing HVO monitoring work.

With B2cam now active and audio verified, USGS and HVO have added a new sensory data point for monitoring Kīlauea, widening the real-time view of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor while reducing the exposure risks that prompted the earlier B1cam relocation.