Overview

• Ninety percent of Kīlauea has been covered by lava in the past 1,000 years.
• The volcano has erupted in each decade since the 1950s, resulting in multiple communities being destroyed.

Past 100 years

1924 – Halema‘uma‘u

• A lava lake drained out of Halema‘uma‘u in February 1924, followed by a severe earthquake swarm in lower Puna. 
• More than 50 explosive events occurred at Halema‘uma‘u during 2.5 weeks in May 1924.
• Blocks as large as 14 tons were thrown from the crater.
• Halema‘uma‘u doubled in diameter and deepened to about 1,300 feet.
• For the next 85 years, it no longer hosted a long-lived lava lake, until one returned in 2008.

1955 – Lower East Rift Zone

• Lasted for 88 days on the Lower East Rift Zone.
• At least 24 vents opened from west of the Pāhoa-Kalapana Road to Kapoho.
• Twenty-one homes destroyed; 3,900 acres inundated.
• Covered more than 6 miles of public roads.

1959 – Kīlauea Iki

• Lava fountains broke through the south wall of Kīlauea Iki Crater in November 1959 following heightened seismic activity.
• Tallest fountain reached 1,900 feet.
• Lava filled the crater floor.

1960 – Kapoho

• Destroyed villages of Kapoho and Koa‘e, including 70 structures.
• Flows extended shoreline by 100 meters.

1961 – Lower Puna

• Eruption last one day and started 2.5 miles west of Highway 130.
• Covered less than 1 square kilometer of uninhabited rain forest. 

1969-1974 – Mauna Ulu

• Eruption lasted 1,774 days inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
• Covered portions of Chain of Craters Road.

1977 – Lower Puna

• Eruption lasted 18 days and threatened Kalapana.

1983-2018 – Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

• Longest and most voluminous eruption on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone in more than 500 years.
• Destroyed 215 homes; covered Royal Gardens and Kalapana Gardens subdivisions.
• Threatened Pāhoa in 2014.

2018 – Lower East Rift Zone

• Eruption started in Leilani Estates on May 3, 2018, after magma moved downrift from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.
• Total fissures: 24
• Destroyed 723 structures, including 612 residences.
• Covered 13.7 square miles and created 875 acres of new land.

Lava Flow Hazard Zones

The below map shows lava-flow hazard zones for the five volcanoes on the Island of Hawaiʻi:

1. Kīlauea (active, last eruption: 2018)
2. Mauna Loa (active, last eruption: 1984)
3. Hualalai (active, last eruption: 1801)
4. Mauna Kea (dormant)
5. Kohala (extinct)

Volcano boundaries are shown as heavy, dark bands, reflecting the overlapping of lava flows from adjacent volcanoes along their common boundary. Hazard-zone boundaries are drawn as double lines because of the geologic uncertainty in their placement.

Explanation

Lava-flow hazard zones - Based on location of eruptive vents, past lava coverage, and topography

• Zone 1: Includes summits and rift zones of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, where vents have been repeatedly active in historical time.
• Zone 2: Areas adjacent to and downslope of zone 1. In Zone 2, 15% to 25% of land has been covered by lava since 1800, and 25% to 75% has been covered within the past 750 years. Relative hazard within zone 2 decreases gradually as one moves away from zone 1.
• Zone 3: Areas less hazardous than zone 2 because of greater distance from recently active vents and (or) because of topography. In Zone 3, 1% to 5% of land has been covered since 1800, and 15% to 75% has been covered within the past 750 years.
• Zone 4: Includes all of Hualālai, where the frequency of eruptions is lower than that for Kīlauea or Mauna Loa. Lava coverage is proportionally smaller, about 5% since 1800, and less than 15% within the past 750 years.
• Zone 5: Area on Kīlauea currently protected by topography.
• Zone 6: Two areas on Mauna Loa, both protected by topography.
• Zone 7: Younger part of domant volcano Mauna Kea. In this area, 25% of land was covered by lava in the past 10,000 years.
• Zone 8: Remaining part of Mauna Kea. Only a few percent of this area has been covered by lava in the past 10,000 years. 
• Zone 9: Kohala Volcano, which last erupted more than 60,000 years ago.