Kilauea facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Kīlauea
Kīlauea's Ahu’aila’au cone erupting on the morning of June 28, 2018
Highest point
Elevation	1,247 m (4,091 ft)
Prominence	15.3 m (50 ft)
Geography
Kīlauea Location in Hawaii
Location	Hawaiʻi, United States
Geology
Age of rock	210,000 to 280,000 years old
Mountain type	Shield volcano, hotspot volcano
Volcanic arc/belt	Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Last eruption	Eruption ongoing

Kīlauea (pronounced KIL-ə-WAY-ə) is a very active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. It is found on the southeastern coast of Hawaii Island. This volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old. It rose above the sea about 100,000 years ago. Since people first settled the islands, Kīlauea has been the most active of the five volcanoes that make up Hawaii Island.

Kīlauea is one of the busiest volcanoes on Earth. Its most recent eruption started in June 2024. New cracks, called fissures, opened south of the main crater, known as the caldera.

Understanding Kīlauea's Geology

Kīlauea is one of five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaiʻi. These volcanoes started underwater and grew over time. They formed from a special spot deep in the Earth called the Hawaiian hotspot. The oldest volcano on the island, Kohala, is over a million years old. Kīlauea is the youngest, believed to be between 300,000 and 600,000 years old. There's an even younger volcano, Kamaʻehuakanaloa, still growing underwater nearby.

Kīlauea began as an underwater volcano. It slowly built itself up with lava eruptions. About 50,000 to 100,000 years ago, it rose above the sea. Since then, its activity has likely been similar to what we see today. In the future, Kīlauea will probably keep erupting in similar ways. These eruptions will make the volcano taller. They will also fill and refill its summit caldera, which is a large bowl-shaped crater.

The Rich History of Kīlauea

The first people in Ancient Hawaii lived along the shores of Hawaii Island. There was plenty of food and water there. They ate flightless birds that had never seen predators before. Early settlements changed the local environment a lot. Many bird species disappeared. People also brought new plants and animals. This led to more soil washing away. The forests in the lowlands turned into grasslands. This change was partly due to fires. But the main reason was the arrival of the Polynesian rat.

Sacred Mountains and Hawaiian Beliefs

The tops of Hawaii's five volcanoes are seen as sacred places. Hawaiians connected parts of their natural world with their gods. In Hawaiian mythology, the sky father Wākea married the earth mother Papa. They gave birth to the Hawaiian Islands. The name Kīlauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in Hawaiian. This refers to how active it is. In Hawaiian stories, Kīlauea is the body of the goddess Pele. She is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes.

The famous conflict between Pele and the rain god Kamapuaʻa happened here. The place called Halemaʻumaʻu means "House of the ʻamaʻumaʻu fern." It got its name from the fight between the two gods. Kamapuaʻa struggled against Pele's power to make lava flow. He covered Halemaʻumaʻu, a favorite spot of the goddess, with fern fronds. Pele was choked by the smoke and came out. The gods realized they could both destroy each other. So, they called it a tie and divided the island. Kamapuaʻa got the wet, northeastern side. Pele got the drier Kona (or leeward) side. The rusty look of young ʻamaʻumaʻu ferns is said to come from this legendary battle.

Early Explorers and Observations

Students collecting GPS data for the USGS in Kīlauea's eastern rift zone in 2015

The first outsider to reach Hawaii was James Cook in 1778. The first non-native person to study Kīlauea closely was William Ellis. He was an English missionary. In 1823, he spent over two weeks exploring the volcano. He wrote the first detailed account of the volcano. His observations helped future explorers.

Another missionary, C. S. Stewart, also wrote about Kīlauea in his journal. James Dwight Dana was one of the earliest and most important people to survey Kīlauea. He stayed with missionary Titus Coan. Dana studied the island's volcanoes for decades. He visited Kīlauea's summit in 1840 and described it. At first, Dana thought Kīlauea was just part of Mauna Loa. But later, geologist C. E. Dutton showed that Kīlauea was its own separate volcano.

Steam venting from fissures inside the caldera, October 2022

The next important time for Kīlauea began in 1912. This is when the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was built on the volcano's rim. It was the first permanent observatory like it in the United States. Thomas Jaggar, a geology expert, had the idea. He saw the damage from an earthquake near Mount Etna in Italy. He decided that volcanoes needed to be studied carefully. He chose Kīlauea as the best place for this. Jaggar led the observatory from 1912 to 1940. He started new ways to study active volcanoes. The observatory is now run by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Its main building has moved twice. Today, it sits on the northwest rim of Kīlauea's caldera.

Kīlauea's Eruptive History

Graph showing Kīlauea's eruptions over the past 200 years. The Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō-Kupaianaha eruption continued into the 21st century.

Ancient Eruptions of Kīlauea

Scientists have found and dated many major eruptions from Kīlauea's long past. This helps us understand the volcano before written records. The oldest lava flows, from 275,000 to 225,000 years ago, were found deep underwater. These lavas show how the volcano erupted when it was still a rising seamount, before it broke through the ocean surface.

Scientists also get old rock samples by drilling deep into the ground. Some of the oldest reliably dated rock is 43,000 years old. It was found under a layer of ash on a cliff called Hilina Pali. This shows that Kīlauea has been active for a very long time.

The Uwēkahuna Ash Member is the oldest well-studied eruption product. It came from explosive eruptions between 2,800 and 2,100 years ago. This ash spread more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the volcano's caldera. This proves that these were very powerful eruptions. Around 1,200 years ago, lava from a past crater, called the Powers Caldera, filled it up. After that, a lot of lava flowed from the summit. Then, about 400 years ago, eruptions moved to the eastern part of Kīlauea's summit.

Eruptions from 1410 to 1790

The longest major eruption seen by native Hawaiians lasted about 60 years. This was from about 1410 to 1470. It's called the 'Ailā'au eruption. Its lava flows covered most of Kīlauea, north of the East Rift Zone. This area is now known as the Puna District. Because this flow lasted so long, the summit collapsed around 1470–1510. This created the caldera we see today.

After this long lava flow and caldera collapse, Kīlauea had 300 years of explosive eruptions. This was from about 1510 to 1790. These eruptions sent ash hundreds of meters into the sky. This ash formed a layer called the Keanakākoʻi Tephra.

Kīlauea's Activity: 1790 to 1934

The first reliable written records of Kīlauea's activity date back to about 1820. The first eruption well-documented by Westerners happened in 1823. One eruption before this, in 1790, was very powerful. It was a steam-driven explosion. This eruption killed a group of warriors from Keōua Kuahuʻula's army. Their footprints are still preserved in the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea has had 61 separate eruptions since 1823. This makes it one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.

Kīlauea's upper sulphur bank; painting by British geologist James Gay Sawkins, 1855

The amount of lava Kīlauea has erupted has changed a lot over time. In 1823, Kīlauea's summit caldera was much deeper. But it was filling up with lava from almost constant eruptions. Between 1840 and 1920, the volcano erupted about half as much lava. Then, for 30 years until 1950, it was unusually quiet. Since then, Kīlauea's lava output has steadily increased. It is now similar to the early 1800s.

These eruptions also vary in length and where they start. Events can last from days to years. Half of all eruptions happen at or near Kīlauea's summit caldera. Activity there was almost constant for much of the 1800s. After a break, it continued until 1924. There have been five eruptions in the quieter southwestern rift zone. There have been 24 along the more active eastern rift zone.

Most of the volcano's recorded history shows lava flowing out smoothly. But before Europeans arrived, Kīlauea had regular explosive eruptions. Old tribal chants mention the volcano's unpredictable nature. Geological records also show this past explosive activity. Even though explosive activity still happens, it's not as strong as it used to be. The volcano would become much more dangerous if it returned to its old explosive phase.

Kīlauea erupted in 1823 and 1832. The first big eruption after 1790 happened in 1840. Its eastern rift zone had a large lava flow. This flow was over 35 kilometers (22 miles) long. This is very long for a rift eruption. The eruption lasted 26 days. It produced about 205 to 265 million cubic meters of lava. The light from the eruption was so bright that people could read a newspaper in Hilo at night, 30 kilometers (19 miles) away.

Painting of the 1891 eruption

The volcano was active again in 1868, 1877, 1884, 1885, 1894, and 1918. Its next major eruption was in 1918–1919. Halemaʻumaʻu, then a small upwelling in the caldera floor, had a lava lake. This lake drained, then refilled. It formed a huge lava lake. It almost reached the top edge of the caldera before draining again. This activity led to the building of Mauna Iki. This built up a large lava shield on the volcano's southwest rift zone over eight months. The eruption also had activity in the rift zone and a lot of lava fountaining.

Activity continued in 1921–1923. The next major eruption happened in 1924. Halemaʻumaʻu was a full pit crater after the 1919 event. It had a large lava lake. First, the lake drained. Then, it quickly began sinking into the ground. It deepened to nearly 210 meters (690 feet) under a thick cloud of volcanic ash. Explosive activity began on May 10 that year. It blew rock chunks weighing up to 45 kilograms (99 pounds) out 60 meters (200 feet). Smaller pieces weighing about 9 kilograms (20 pounds) flew as far as 270 meters (890 feet). After a short break, it got stronger with a big blast on May 18. This huge explosion caused the eruption's only death. The eruption continued. It formed many eruption columns up to and beyond 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) high. It slowly ended by May 28. Volcanic activity then stayed at the summit. It stopped completely after 1934. From 1823 to 1924, the volcano erupted 15 times. There were also 11 times when the summit sank.

Kīlauea's Eruptions: 1952 to 1982

The Mauna Ulu eruption of 1969 generated a 300-meter (980-foot) high lava fountain

After the Halemaʻumaʻu event, Kīlauea was quiet for a while. All activity was at the summit. The volcano became active again in 1952. An enormous lava fountain shot 245 meters (804 feet) high at Halemaʻumaʻu. Many continuous lava fountains, 15 to 30 meters (49 to 98 feet) high, kept going. The eruption lasted 136 days.

Eruptions happened soon after in 1954, 1955, and 1959. A large event in 1960 followed. Cracks opened, and steam explosions happened. Then, a huge lava flow, called ʻaʻā, covered many evacuated towns and resorts. The summit then sank even more. This caused Halemaʻumaʻu to collapse further.

From 1960, eruptions happened often until August 2018. The period 1967–1968 saw a very large eruption from Halemaʻumaʻu. It produced 80 million cubic meters of lava and lasted 251 days. This was followed the next year by the long Mauna Ulu eruption. This was a large, flowing eruption. It lasted from May 24, 1969, to July 24, 1974. It added 230 acres (93 hectares) of new land to the island. After the eruption slowed, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake happened. This caused part of the summit to collapse. Activity at Kīlauea did not start again until 1977. At the time, Mauna Ulu was the longest flank eruption of any Hawaiian volcano ever recorded. This eruption created a new vent. It covered a large area with lava. It also added new land to the island. The eruption started as a crack between two craters, ʻĀloʻi and ʻAlae. This is where the Mauna Ulu shield would later form. Both smooth (pāhoehoe) and rough (ʻaʻā) lava erupted. Early on, lava fountains burst out as high as 540 meters (1,772 feet). In early 1973, an earthquake caused Kīlauea to stop erupting near Mauna Ulu for a short time. Instead, it erupted near the craters Pauahi and Hiʻiaka.

The Long Eruption: 1983–2018

Puʻu ʻŌʻō at dusk, June 1983

The longest major eruption observed at Kīlauea in modern history happened from January 1983 to September 2018. It was the longest eruption ever seen at this volcano. As of December 2020, it is the twelfth-longest volcanic eruption on Earth since 1750. The eruption began on January 3, 1983, along the eastern rift zone. The vent produced strong lava fountains. These quickly built up into the Puʻu ʻŌʻō cone. Lava flows then went down the volcano's slope.

In 1986, the activity moved down the rift to a new vent called Kūpaʻianahā. Here, the lava flowed out more smoothly. Kūpaʻianahā built a low, wide volcanic shield. Lava tubes carried flows 11 to 12 kilometers (about 7 miles) to the sea. Between 1986 and 1991, the road connecting Chain of Craters Road and Hawaii Route 130 was cut. The community of Kapa’ahu, the village of Kalapana, and the neighborhoods of Kālapana Gardens and Royal Gardens were covered by lava. A black sand beach at Kaimū was also buried. In 1992, the eruption moved back to Puʻu ʻŌʻō. It continued in the same way. It covered almost all the lava flows from 1983–86 and large areas of the coast.

By the end of 2016, the east rift zone eruption had produced 4.4 cubic kilometers (1.1 cubic miles) of lava. It covered 144 square kilometers (56 square miles) of land. It added 179 hectares (440 acres) of new land to the island. It destroyed 215 buildings. It also buried 14.3 kilometers (8.9 miles) of highway under lava as thick as 35 meters (115 feet).

Besides the almost constant activity at Puʻu ʻOʻo, a separate eruption began at Kīlauea's summit in March 2008. On March 19, 2008, a new vent opened at Halemaʻumaʻu. This happened after several months of more sulfur dioxide gas and ground shaking. This new vent erupted explosively. After this event, the new crater, called the "Overlook Crater," released a thick gas plume. This plume made it hard to see into the vent. Several other explosive events happened at the vent throughout 2008.

On September 5, 2008, scientists saw a lava pond deep inside the Overlook Crater for the first time. From February 2010, a lava pond was almost always visible at the bottom of the crater. This continued until early May 2018. Lava briefly flowed out of the vent onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu in April and May 2015, October 2016, and April 2018.

The 2018 Eruptions

Lava from a fissure slowly advanced to the northeast on Hoʻokupu Street in Leilani Estates subdivision (May 5, 2018)

In March 2018, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory noticed that Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō was swelling quickly. Scientists warned that this increased pressure could create a new vent at Kīlauea.

After weeks of rising pressure, the crater floor of Puʻu ʻŌʻō collapsed on April 30, 2018. Magma moved underground into the lower Puna region of Kīlauea's lower east rift zone. Over the next few days, hundreds of small earthquakes were felt. Officials warned people to evacuate. On May 3, 2018, new cracks formed. Lava began erupting in lower Puna after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake earlier that day. This caused evacuations in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhoods.

A related 6.9 magnitude earthquake happened on May 4. By May 9, 27 houses in Leilani Estates were destroyed.

Kilauea Volcano Fissure 8 captured on May 3rd, 2019

By May 21, two lava flows reached the Pacific Ocean. They created thick clouds of "laze." Laze is a toxic cloud of lava and haze. It is made of hydrochloric acid and tiny glass particles.

By May 31, 87 houses in Leilani Estates and nearby areas were destroyed by lava. Moving lava flows caused more evacuation orders. This included the town of Kapoho. By June 4, the lava had crossed through Kapoho and entered the ocean. The confirmed number of lost houses reached 159. Two weeks later, 533 homes were lost. By June 25, this number rose to 657.

How the 2018 Eruption Affected Kīlauea's Summit

Two views of Halemaʻumaʻu from roughly the same vantage point. At left is the view from 2008, with a distinct gas plume from the Overlook vent, the location of what would become a long-lived lava lake. At right is a view of Halemaʻumaʻu after the eruptive events of 2018, showing the collapsed crater.

As lava broke out in lower Puna, the lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu at Kīlauea's summit began to drop on May 2, 2018. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory warned that the dropping lava lake could cause steam explosions at the summit. This could happen if magma mixed with underground water. This was similar to explosions in 1924. These worries led to the closure of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. On May 17, at about 4:15 a.m., an explosive eruption happened at Halemaʻumaʻu. It created a plume of ash 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) into the air. This started a series of strong explosions. They produced a lot of ash plumes from Halemaʻumaʻu. These explosions, along with big earthquakes and sinking ground around Halemaʻumaʻu, continued until early August.

A Water Lake Appears: 2019–2020

In late July 2019, a water lake appeared at the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu. This was the first time in over 200 years. Water from the rising underground water level began to enter the crater. After this, the crater lake slowly grew. On December 1, 2020, the lake was about 49 meters (161 feet) deep. Within a month, this water lake would be replaced by a lava lake during a new eruption.

Summit Eruption: December 2020 – May 2021

View of the eruption from outside the summit caldera, on December 20, 2020

On December 20, 2020, at 9:30 p.m. local time, an eruption began inside Halemaʻumaʻu. This was at Kīlauea's summit caldera. The US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that three vents were sending lava into the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. This boiled off the water lake that had been growing since summer 2019. A lava lake then replaced it. The eruption created a plume that reached 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) high.

The eruption was preceded by groups of earthquakes. These were centered at Kīlauea Caldera on November 30 and December 2, 2020. The second group of earthquakes was thought to be a small movement of magma underground. By the next morning, emergency officials said the eruption had settled down. Two of the three vents were still active. They continued to fill the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu with lava. By 7:30 a.m. on December 25, 2020, the lava lake had filled 176 meters (577 feet) of the crater. The lake level kept rising. On January 8, 2021, the lava lake was 636 feet (194 meters) deep. By February 24, the lava lake in the western, active part was 216 meters (709 feet) deep. A cone of hardened lava, called a spatter cone, also formed around the western vent.

The eruption continued for a few more months. But activity slowly decreased. On May 26, 2021, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory announced that Kīlauea was no longer erupting. Lava stopped flowing into the lava lake between May 11 and May 13. The lava lake was completely covered by a crust by May 20. The last surface activity in Halemaʻumaʻu was seen on May 23. When activity stopped, the lava lake was 229 meters (751 feet) deep.

On August 23, 2021, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised Kīlauea's alert status. This was because of a group of earthquakes and more ground movement at the volcano's summit. The observatory said this activity might mean "the shallow movement of magma beneath the south part of Kīlauea caldera." The observatory lowered Kīlauea's alert status two days later. This was after the earthquakes and ground movement lessened.

Summit Eruption: September 2021

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory started to record more earthquake activity. They also saw changes in how the ground was moving at Kīlauea's summit. This began around noon local time on September 29, 2021. An eruption started at 3:20 p.m. local time. Several cracks opened within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. This was in Kīlauea's summit caldera. At the start of the eruption, lava shot out in fountains over 200 feet (61 meters) tall. But the fountains became shorter as the lava level in the crater rose. This partly covered the erupting vents.

Lava continued to erupt at Halemaʻumaʻu throughout the fall. Measurements from October 5, 2022, showed that 111 million cubic meters (29 billion US gallons) of lava had flowed out. The floor of Halemaʻumaʻu had risen 143 meters (469 feet) since the eruption began on September 29, 2021. The eruption paused on December 9. The alert level was lowered on December 13, 2022. However, earthquake activity was still unsettled.

Summit Eruptions: 2023

Eruptions inside Halemaʻumaʻu started again on January 5, 2023. This Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended 61 days later on March 7, 2023.

Around 4:44 a.m. Pacific time on June 7, 2023, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (USGS) saw a glow in web camera images on top of Kīlauea. This showed that an eruption had begun in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. This is inside the Kīlauea caldera, within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. A park spokesperson said that 10,000 visitors came to the volcano in the next 24 hours. This was three times the usual number. This eruption episode ended after twelve days of activity on June 19, 2023.

The third Halemaʻumaʻu eruption of 2023 happened from September 10 to September 16, 2023. Multiple vents opened within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. They also opened on a dropped block of land to the east in Kīlauea’s summit caldera.

Recent Eruption: 2024

On June 3, 2024, a new eruption began south of Kīlauea caldera.

NASA Astronaut Training at Kīlauea

Apollo astronauts who trained at Kīlauea

NASA used the Kīlauea area to train Apollo astronauts in geology. This training helped them learn to recognize volcanic features. They also practiced planning routes, collecting samples, and taking photos.

Training sessions took place in April 1969, April 1970, December 1970, December 1971, and June 1972. Astronauts from Apollo 12, Apollo 14, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 used this training on the Moon. Famous geologist instructors included William R. Muehlberger.

Visiting Kīlauea: Tourism and the National Park

Kīlauea's 2018 lower Puna eruption

Kilauea Crater

Steaming crater

View from the edge of Kilauea Iki: across the caldera, Halemaʻumaʻu is emitting fume on the left side of the caldera, while Mauna Loa towers above in the background (March 2013)

Kīlauea has been a popular place for tourists since the 1840s. Local business owners like Benjamin Pitman and George Lycurgus ran hotels on the volcano's rim. This included Volcano House, which is still the only hotel or restaurant inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

In 1891, Lorrin A. Thurston started pushing for a park on the volcano's slopes. This idea was first suggested in 1903. Thurston owned a newspaper and printed articles supporting the idea. By 1911, a bill was proposed to create "Kilauea National Park." Important people like John Muir and former President Theodore Roosevelt supported it. After several tries, the bill was signed into law by Woodrow Wilson on August 1, 1916. It was the 11th National Park in the United States. It was also the first in a U.S. territory. A few weeks later, the National Park Service Organic Act was signed. This created the National Park Service to run the growing park system. The park was first called "Hawaii National Park." It was separated from Haleakala National Park on September 22, 1960. Today, the park is called the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. It is a major place for conservation and tourism. Since 1987, it has been a World Heritage Site.

In its early days, tourism was new. It grew slowly. But it really took off with the start of jet airliner travel around 1959. That was the year Hawaiʻi became a state. Today, tourism is popular because of the island's unique tropical places. Kīlauea is one of the few volcanoes in the world that is almost always erupting moderately. This makes it a big draw for tourists. The National Park Service says that about 2.6 million people visit Kīlauea each year. Most of them visit the Kilauea Visitor Center near the park entrance. The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum was also a popular stop. It was on the edge of Kīlauea Caldera. Its observation deck offered the best view of the activity at Halemaʻumaʻu. However, the museum closed after the building was damaged by earthquakes during the 2018 eruptions.

Glowing lava at sunset, seen from near Volcano House, October 2022

The Volcano House offers places to stay inside the park. More housing options are available in the nearby Volcano Village. Visitors connected to the military can stay at the Kilauea Military Camp. The park has many hiking trails, interesting spots, and guided ranger programs.

Images for kids

ʻŌhiʻa (Metrosideros polymorpha) growing on a barren lava field dating from 1986, formerly the village of Kalapana, Hawaii. The myrtle in this picture, taken in 2009, may have since been covered over—fresh flows in 2010 partially re-covered the area.
The 'amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) is one of the many birds that live on the volcano's flanks.