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United States · Shield volcano

Kilauea

Type
Shield volcano
Elevation
1222m
Last eruption
2026
Kilauea
Photo: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
United States
Region
Eastern Pacific / Hawaiian-Emperor Hotspot Volcano Group
Elevation
1222m
Coordinates
19.421, -155.287
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Intraplate / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-basalt

Geological summary

Kilauea overlaps the E flank of the massive Mauna Loa shield volcano in the Island of Hawai`i.

Excerpt from the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution · Read the full summary on GVP →

From Wikipedia

Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island. The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and grew above sea level about 100,000 years ago. Since the islands were settled, it has been the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island and among the most active volcanoes on Earth. The most recent eruption of Kīlauea began in December 2024 inside Halemaʻumaʻu, a pit crater located within Kīlauea's summit caldera, with episodic lava fountains and flows currently continuing inside the crater into late 2026.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

75 recordedGlossary

Record summary

Confirmed eruptions
75
Uncertain eruptions
0
Span of confirmed record
4650 BCE – 2026
Largest confirmed eruption
VEI 4 (1790)
Confirmed eruptions since 1900
37
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
4650 BCE~4428 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 03315 BCE~3093 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02870 BCE~2648 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02203 BCE~1980 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 01758 BCE~1535 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0868 BCE~646 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0423 BCE~201 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0201 BCE~22 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 022~244 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0244~467 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0467~689 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 1689~912 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0912~1134 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 11134~1357 · 2 eruptions · max VEI 01357~1579 · 5 eruptions · max VEI 11579~1802 · 6 eruptions · max VEI 41802~2024 · 42 eruptions · max VEI 34650 BCE3093 BCE1313 BCE2441802

Detailed timeline

  1. 2024VEI 0Observed
    2024-06-03 – 2024-06-03
    Southwest Rift Zone
  2. 2024VEI 0Observed
    2024-09-15 – 2024-09-20
    Napau Crater
  3. 2024VEI 1Observed
    2024-12-23 – 2026-03-25
    Halema'uma'u Crater
  4. 2021VEI 0Observed
    2021-09-29 – 2023-09-16
    Halema`uma`u Crater.
  5. 2020VEI 0Observed
    2020-12-20 – 2021-05-23
  6. 1983VEI 3Observed
    1983-01-03 – 2018-09-05
    East rift zone (Puu O'o), Halemaumau
  7. 1982VEI 0Observed
    1982-04-30 – 1982-05-01
    Kilauea Caldera (NE of Halemaumau)
  8. 1982VEI 0Observed
    1982-09-25 – 1982-09-26
    Kilauea Caldera (SSE of Halemaumau)
  9. 1980VEI 0Observed
    1980-03-11 – 1980-03-11
    East rift zone (near Mauna Ulu)
  10. 1979VEI 0Observed
    1979-11-16 – 1979-11-17
    East rift zone (Pauahi Crater)
  11. 1977VEI 0Observed
    1977-09-13 – 1977-10-01
    East rift zone (near Kalalua Crater)
  12. 1975VEI 0Observed
    1975-11-29 – 1975-11-29
    Kilauea Caldera, Halemaumau
  13. 1974VEI 0Observed
    1974-12-31 – 1974-12-31
    Southwest Rift Zone (1,095 m)
  14. 1969VEI 0Observed
    1969-02-22 – 1974-09-19
    East rift zone (885-945 m), Alae Crater
  15. 1967VEI 0Observed
    1967-11-05 – 1968-10-22
    Halemaumau
  16. 1965VEI 0Observed
    1965-03-05 – 1965-03-15
    East rift zone (700-915 m)
  17. 1965VEI 0Observed
    1965-12-24 – 1965-12-25
    East rift zone (915-960 m)
  18. 1963VEI 0Observed
    1963-08-21 – 1963-10-06
    East rift zone (825-960 m)
  19. 1962VEI 0Observed
    1962-12-07 – 1962-12-09
    East rift zone (945-990 m)
  20. 1961VEI 1Observed
    1961-02-24 – 1961-03-25
    Halemaumau
  21. 1961VEI 1Observed
    1961-07-10 – 1961-09-24
    Halemaumau
  22. 1959VEI 2Observed
    1959-11-14 – 1960-02-19
    Kilauea Iki
  23. 1955VEI 0Observed
    1955-02-28 – 1955-05-26
    Lower east rift zone (50-400 m)
  24. 1954VEI 0Observed
    1954-05-31 – 1954-06-03
    Halemaumau and Kilauea caldera
  25. 1952VEI 0Observed
    1952-06-27 – 1952-11-10
    Halemaumau
  26. 1934VEI 0Observed
    1934-09-06 – 1934-10-08
    Halemaumau
  27. 1931VEI 0Observed
    1931-12-23 – 1932-01-05
    Halemaumau
  28. 1930VEI 0Observed
    1930-11-19 – 1930-12-07
    Halemaumau
  29. 1929VEI 0Observed
    1929-02-20 – 1929-02-21
    Halemaumau
  30. 1929VEI 0Observed
    1929-07-25 – 1929-07-28
    Halemaumau
  31. 1927VEI 0Observed
    1927-07-07 – 1927-07-20
    Halemaumau
  32. 1924VEI 2Observed
    1924-05-10 – 1924-07-29
    Halemaumau
  33. 1906VEI 0Observed
    1906-12-02 – 1924-02-16
    Halemaumau
  34. 1905VEI 0Observed
    1905-02-22 – 1906-04-16
    Halemaumau
  35. 1903VEI 0Observed
    1903-11-25 – 1904-01-10
    Halemaumau
  36. 1902VEI 0Observed
    1902-02-14 – 1902-02-16
    Halemaumau
  37. 1902VEI 0Observed
    1902-06-03 – 1903-03-05
    Halemaumau
  38. 1897VEI 0Observed
    1897-06-24 – 1897-06-27
    Halemaumau
  39. 1896VEI 0Observed
    1896-01-03 – 1896-01-28
    Halemaumau
  40. 1896VEI 0Observed
    1896-07-11 – 1896-09-25
    Halemaumau
  41. 1823VEI 1Observed
    1823-02-16 – 1894-12-06
    Southwest Rift Zone (Great Crack, 75-580 m elevation)
  42. 1820VEI 2Observed
    1820-07-02 – end unknown
    Kilauea Caldera
  43. 1790VEI 0Observed
    1790 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone (230-375 m)
  44. 1790VEI 4Observed
    1790-11 – end unknown
    Kilauea Caldera (Keanakakoi ash)
  45. 1750VEI 0Observed
    1750 – end unknown
    East rift zone (Heiheiahulu, 520 m)
  46. 1700 (±25 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1700 – end unknown
    Upper east rift zone (Kokoolau)
  47. 1650 (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1650 – end unknown
    Kilauea summit (Observatory vent)
  48. 1610 (±50 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1610 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone (Puu Honuaula)
  49. 1510 (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1510 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone (near Kehena)
  50. 1500VEI 1Geological estimate
    1500 – end unknown
  51. 1490 (±16 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1490 – end unknown
    Kilauea caldera
  52. 1460 (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1460 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone (near Puu Kaliu)
  53. 1410VEI 0Geological estimate
    1410 – 1470
    Kilauea summit
  54. 1340 (±40 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1340 – end unknown
    Upper east rift zone (Kane Nui o Hamo)
  55. 1140 (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1140 – end unknown
  56. 1050 (±75 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1050 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone (NE of Iilewa)
  57. 900 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    900 – end unknown
  58. 850 (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    850 – end unknown
  59. 680 (±75 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    680 – end unknown
    East (near Kaipu) and SW rift zones
  60. 540 (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    540 – end unknown
  61. 450VEI 0Geological estimate
    450 – end unknown
    Lower east rift zone
  62. 420 (±20 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    420 – end unknown
  63. 150 (±300 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    150 – end unknown
    Kilauea summit (Powers Caldera)
  64. 50 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    50 BCE – end unknown
  65. 200 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    200 BCE – end unknown
    Summit, East and SW rift zones
  66. 270 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    270 BCE – end unknown
  67. 410 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    410 BCE – end unknown
    East rift zone
  68. 800 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    800 BCE – end unknown
  69. 1550 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    1550 BCE – end unknown
    SW rift zone
  70. 1650 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    1650 BCE – end unknown
    SW rift zone
  71. 2080 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    2080 BCE – end unknown
  72. 2200 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    2200 BCE – end unknown
  73. 2850 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    2850 BCE – end unknown
    SW rift zone
  74. 3300 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    3300 BCE – end unknown
  75. 4650 BCEVEI 0Geological estimate
    4650 BCE – end unknown
    SW rift zone

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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