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Kīlauea

Find U.S. Volcano

The eruption on the remote middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea has paused. This activity occurred within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

Quick Facts

Location: Island of Hawai‘i
Latitude: 19.421° N
Longitude: 155.287° W
Elevation: 1,222 (m) 4,009 (f)
Volcano type: Shield
Composition: Basalt
Most recent eruption: June 2024
Nearby towns: Volcano, Pāhoa, Kalapana, Mountain View
Threat Potential: Very High*

*based on the National Volcano Early Warning System

Summary

Topographically Kīlauea appears as only a bulge on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa, and so for many years Kīlauea was thought to be a mere satellite of its giant neighbor, not a separate volcano. However, research over the past few decades shows clearly that Kīlauea has its own magma-plumbing system, extending to the surface from more than 60 km deep in the earth.

In fact, the summit of Kīlauea lies on a curving line of volcanoes that includes Mauna Kea and Kohala and excludes Mauna Loa. In other words, Kīlauea is to Mauna Kea as Kama‘ehuakanaloa (formerly Lō‘ihi) is to Mauna Loa. 

Kaluapele is the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano. Within Kaluapele, Halemaʻumaʻu (often a crater that hosts persistently active vents) is the home of Pelehonuamea (Pele of the red earth), the Hawaiian elemental force of creation that appears as red molten lava. Hawaiian chants and oral traditions record, in veiled forms, centuries of volcanic activity in Hawaii.  The first European, the missionary Rev. William Ellis, visited the summit in 1823 after which written documentation of eruptions begins. Kaluapele was the site of nearly continuous activity during the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Kīlauea ranks among the world's most active volcanoes.

Since 1952, Kīlauea has erupted dozens of times. From 1983 to 2018 eruptive activity was nearly continuous along the volcano's East Rift Zone, centered at Puʻuʻōʻō and Kupaianaha vents. At the summit, a vent within Halema‘uma‘u hosted an active lava pond and vigorous gas plume from 2008 to 2018. In 2018, the 35 years of continuous activity on the East Rift Zone ended. An intrusion into the lower East Rift Zone resulted in collapse and termination of the lava lake in Puʻuʻōʻō and draining of the summit lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu. Those events caused a devastating eruption from the lower East Rift Zone and resulting collapse within Kaluapele, which enlarged and deepened Halemaʻumaʻu. Since December 2020, several summit eruptions within Halema‘uma‘u have been slowly filling the collapsed area. In 2024, activity has migrated out of the caldera, with one intrusion and eruption in the Southwest Rift Zone, and several intrusions in the upper East Rift Zone as well as an eruption on the middle East Rift Zone.  

News

Photo and Video Chronology —September 20, 2024, Paused Kīlauea eruption near Nāpau Crater

Photo and Video Chronology —September 20, 2024, Paused Kīlauea eruption near Nāpau Crater

Volcano Watch — A New Kīlauea Eruption

Volcano Watch — A New Kīlauea Eruption

Photo and Video Chronology —September 19, 2024, Kīlauea eruption near Nāpau Crater

Photo and Video Chronology —September 19, 2024, Kīlauea eruption near Nāpau Crater

Publications

The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea: Insights, puzzles, and opportunities for volcano science

The science of volcanology advances disproportionately during exceptionally large or well-observed eruptions. The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano (Hawai‘i) was its most impactful in centuries, involving an outpouring of more than one cubic kilometer of basalt, a magnitude 7 flank earthquake, and the volcano’s largest summit collapse since at least the nineteenth century. Eruptive activity was doc
Authors
Kyle R. Anderson, Tom Shea, Kendra J. Lynn, Emily Montgomery-Brown, Donald A. Swanson, Matthew R. Patrick, Brian Shiro, Christina A. Neal

Modeling the occurrence of M ∼ 5 caldera collapse-related earthquakes in Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i

During the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and caldera collapse, M ∼ 5 caldera collapse earthquakes occurred almost daily from mid-May until the beginning of August. While caldera collapses happen infrequently, the collapse-related seismicity damaged nearby structures, and so these events should be included in a complete seismic hazard assessment. Here, we present an approach to forecast the seismic hazard
Authors
Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael

2018 update to the U.S. Geological Survey national volcanic threat assessment

When erupting, all volcanoes pose a degree of risk to people and infrastructure, however, the risks are not equivalent from one volcano to another because of differences in eruptive style and geographic location. Assessing the relative threats posed by U.S. volcanoes identifies which volcanoes warrant the greatest risk-mitigation efforts by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners. This update

Authors
John W. Ewert, Angela K. Diefenbach, David W. Ramsey

Science

Eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone

The eruption has paused on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No public viewing is possible at this time, but webcam views are listed below. Please see Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for visitor information.
link

Eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone

The eruption has paused on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea, within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No public viewing is possible at this time, but webcam views are listed below. Please see Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for visitor information.
Learn More

How are lava flows mapped in Hawaii?

Lava flow mapping provides situational awareness of volcanic eruptive hazards in Hawaii. During eruptions, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists employ a variety of techniques to collect and disseminate map data depicting key eruptive features, especially lava flows.
link

How are lava flows mapped in Hawaii?

Lava flow mapping provides situational awareness of volcanic eruptive hazards in Hawaii. During eruptions, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists employ a variety of techniques to collect and disseminate map data depicting key eruptive features, especially lava flows.
Learn More

June 2024 Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone Eruption

Kīlauea erupted briefly on Monday, June 3, southwest of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
link

June 2024 Kīlauea Southwest Rift Zone Eruption

Kīlauea erupted briefly on Monday, June 3, southwest of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Learn More

Multimedia

Color photograph of red glowing lava in crack
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone new lava
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone new lava
Color photograph showing aerial view of crater floor that is mostly covered with black fresh lava
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption overview
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption overview
Color photograph of volcanic vent fuming
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption aerial view of fuming vent
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption aerial view of fuming vent
Color photograph of lava spattering
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption spatter
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption spatter
Color photograph of lava spattering during eruption
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption spatter
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption spatter
Color photograph of fresh lava flow
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone recent lava flows
September 20, 2024—Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone recent lava flows
Color photograph of recent lava flows covering trail in tephra
September 20, 2024—Lava flows from recent Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption cover Nāpau Trail
September 20, 2024—Lava flows from recent Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption cover Nāpau Trail
Color photograph of area covered with recent lava flows
September 20, 2024—Lava flows on the floor of Nāpau Crater, Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone
September 20, 2024—Lava flows on the floor of Nāpau Crater, Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone
Color photograph of scientist examining ground crack
September 20, 2024—Ground cracks in the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea
September 20, 2024—Ground cracks in the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea
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