Kilauea: Encyclopedia II - Kilauea - Kīlauea eruptions

Kilauea - Kīlauea eruptions

Eruptions at Kīlauea occur primarily either from the summit caldera or along either of the lengthy East and Southwest rift zones that extend from the caldera to the sea. In recent decades, eruptions have been continuous, with many of the lava flows reaching to the Pacific Ocean shore. About 90% of the surface of Kīlauea is lava flows less than 1,100 years old; 70% of the surface is younger than 600 years.

There were forty-five separate eruptions of Kīlauea in the twentieth century. The current Kīlauea eruption began in January 1983 along the East rift zone from Puʻu ʻŌʻō-Kūpaʻianahā and continues to produce lava flows that travel 11 to 12 km from these vents to the sea. This eruption has covered over 104 km² of land on the southern flank of Kīlauea and has built out into the sea 2 km² of new land. Since 1983 more than 1.9 km³ of lava has been erupted, making the 1983-to-present eruption the largest historically known for Kīlauea.

The 1990 lava flow in particular was notable for being destructive of property. In the 1990 lava flow the towns of Kalapana and Kaimū were totally destroyed, as was Kaimū Bay, Kalapana Black Sand Beach, and a large section of State Rte. 130, which now abruptly dead-ends at the lava flow.

Eruptions from Kīlauea also are known for creating vog, or volcanic smog, which affects many areas of the Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu and Honolulu whenever winds come out of the south or southeast.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Kīlauea eruptions", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki