Kīlauea

Kīlauea is an active shield volcano on Hawaiʻi Island. Frequent eruptions and extensive lava flows have built much of its broad volcanic landscape.

Hawaiian hotspot: A mantle plume beneath the Pacific Plate that feeds the Hawaiian volcanic chain. Its magma supply sustains Kīlauea as the Pacific Plate moves northwest.
2018 lower Puna eruption: A major Kīlauea eruption in 2018 that opened fissures in lower Puna and sent lava across populated areas. It demonstrated the destructive reach of an East Rift Zone eruption.
Pele (Hawaiian mythology): A Hawaiian deity associated with volcanoes, fire, and the creation of volcanic landscapes. Kīlauea is widely associated with Pele in Hawaiian tradition.
Volcanic hazard: A threat to people or infrastructure arising from volcanic activity and its associated processes. Kīlauea presents hazards including lava flows, gas, ash, and ground cracking.
Mauna Loa: A massive active shield volcano on Hawaiʻi Island, neighboring Kīlauea to the northwest. Both are active hotspot volcanoes, but their eruption histories and summit structures differ.
Shield volcano: A broad volcano built mainly by repeated flows of fluid, low-viscosity lava. Kīlauea’s gently sloping profile is characteristic of this volcano type.
Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption: A long-lived Kīlauea eruption that began in 1983 and ended in 2018. Its decades of lava flows profoundly reshaped the volcano’s eastern flank.
Thomas Jaggar: An American volcanologist who founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912. His observatory established sustained scientific monitoring of Kīlauea.
Lava-flow hazard mapping: The assessment and mapping of areas that may be reached by future lava flows. Kīlauea’s rift zones and eruption history inform maps used in land-use planning.
Mauna Kea: A mostly dormant shield volcano on Hawaiʻi Island, the highest point in the Hawaiian Islands. Its long period without eruption contrasts with Kīlauea’s frequent activity.

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