1969 Rift Eruption near Nāpau Crater

The February 1969 rift eruption near Nāpau Crater was a brief but dynamic precursor to the long-lived Maunaulu eruption that began in May of that year. This week-long event featured lava fountaining from multiple fissures along a 2.5-mile stretch of Kīlauea’s upper East Rift Zone.