Kīlauea Iki: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 19°24.833′N 155°14.785′W / 19.413883°N 155.246417°W / 19.413883; -155.246417
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== 1959 eruption ==
== 1959 eruption ==
At 8:08 pm on November 14, 1959, an eruption began at the summit of Kilauea in the Kilauea Iki crater after several months of increased seismicity and deformation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Richter|first=D. H.|last2=Eaton|first2=J. P.|last3=Murata|first3=K. J.|last4=Ault|first4=W. U.|last5=Krivoy|first5=H. L.|date=1970|title=Chronological narrative of the 1959-60 eruption of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp537E|journal=Professional Paper|doi=10.3133/pp537E|issn=2330-7102}}</ref> Over the next month, the crater experienced 17 eruption episodes, each one (except for the last) beginning with lava fountaining and ending with lava drainback.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Stovall|first=Wendy K.|last2=Houghton|first2=B. F.|last3=Gonnermann|first3=H.|last4=Fagents|first4=S. A.|last5=Swanson|first5=D. A.|date=2011-07-01|title=Eruption dynamics of Hawaiian-style fountains: the case study of episode 1 of the Kīlauea Iki 1959 eruption|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0426-z|journal=Bulletin of Volcanology|language=en|volume=73|issue=5|pages=511–529|doi=10.1007/s00445-010-0426-z|issn=1432-0819}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Stovall|first=W. K.|last2=Houghton|first2=Bruce F.|last3=Harris|first3=Andrew J. L.|last4=Swanson|first4=Donald A.|date=2009-02-13|title=Features of lava lake filling and draining and their implications for eruption dynamics|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00445-009-0263-0|journal=Bulletin of Volcanology|volume=71|issue=7|pages=767–780|doi=10.1007/s00445-009-0263-0|issn=0258-8900}}</ref> After the first episode, which lasted 7 days, most of the remaining episodes were less than 24 hours, with the shortest (14th episode) lasting less than 2 hours.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last=Wright|first=Thomas L.|last2=Klein|first2=Fred W.|date=2014|title=Two hundred years of magma transport and storage at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, 1790-2008|url=http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1806|location=Reston, VA|pages=258|doi=10.3133/pp1806}}</ref> Volcanic ejecta from the main fissure on the western side of the crater formed the 70 meter high Pu'u Pua'i tephra cone (Hawaiian for 'gushing hill').<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gailler|first=Lydie|last2=Kauahikaua|first2=Jim|date=2017|title=Monitoring the cooling of the 1959 Kīlauea Iki lava lake using surface magnetic measurements|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00445-017-1119-7|journal=Bulletin of Volcanology|language=en|volume=79|issue=6|pages=40|doi=10.1007/s00445-017-1119-7|issn=0258-8900}}</ref> On December 11, 1959, at the end of the 8th episode, the lava lake formed in the crater reached its greatest volume (58 million cubic yards) and depth (414 feet).<ref name=":0" /> The final volume and depth of the lava lake after the end of the eruption on December 20th was approximately 50 million cubic yards and 365 feet, respectively.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":12" /> In 1988, a drilling project of Kilauea Iki showed that the lava lake depth was deeper than expected by 50-90 feet.<ref name=":42">{{Cite journal|last=Helz|first=Rosalind Tuthill|date=1993|title=Drilling report and core logs for the 1988 drilling of Kilauea Iki lava lake, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, with summary descriptions of the occurrence of foundered crust and fractures in the drill core|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr9315|doi=10.3133/ofr9315}}</ref> This was likely due to the crater floor collapsing during the 1959 eruption.<ref name=":42" /><ref name=":12" />
In August 1959, a swarm of deep [[earthquake]]s was detected by the [[Hawaiian Volcano Observatory]]. In October it was indicated by [[seismograph]]s that Kilauea summit was filling with magma. This formed a new [[lava shield]], named Pu{{okina}}u Pua{{okina}}i (gushing hill).


=== Lava fountain ===
=== Lava fountain ===

Revision as of 19:02, 3 December 2021

19°24.833′N 155°14.785′W / 19.413883°N 155.246417°W / 19.413883; -155.246417

Kilauea Iki on December 19, 1959

Kīlauea Iki is a pit crater that is next to the main summit caldera of Kīlauea on the island of Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. It is known for its eruption in 1959 that started on November 14th and ended on December 20th, producing lava fountaining up to 1900 feet and a lava lake in the crater. Today, the surface of the lava lake has cooled and it is now a popular hiking destination to view the aftermath of an eruption.

15th century eruption

Lava tubes associated with Kīlauea Iki are responsible for the vast ʻAilāʻau eruption, carbon 14 dated from circa 1445 and erupting continuously for approximately 50 years, which blanketed much of what is now Puna District with 5.2 ± 0.8 km3 of basalt lava.[1]

1868 eruption

Kilauea Iki experienced a minor eruption in 1868, which covered the floor of the crater in a thin layer of basalt.[2] This eruption was preceded by the great Ka'ü earthquake of 1868, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that caused extensive damage on the island and resulted in collapses of the wall in Kilauea's summit caldera, withdrawal of lava from the summit caldera, and the brief eruption in Kilauea Iki.[3]

1959 eruption

At 8:08 pm on November 14, 1959, an eruption began at the summit of Kilauea in the Kilauea Iki crater after several months of increased seismicity and deformation.[4] Over the next month, the crater experienced 17 eruption episodes, each one (except for the last) beginning with lava fountaining and ending with lava drainback.[5][6] After the first episode, which lasted 7 days, most of the remaining episodes were less than 24 hours, with the shortest (14th episode) lasting less than 2 hours.[4][7] Volcanic ejecta from the main fissure on the western side of the crater formed the 70 meter high Pu'u Pua'i tephra cone (Hawaiian for 'gushing hill').[5][8] On December 11, 1959, at the end of the 8th episode, the lava lake formed in the crater reached its greatest volume (58 million cubic yards) and depth (414 feet).[4] The final volume and depth of the lava lake after the end of the eruption on December 20th was approximately 50 million cubic yards and 365 feet, respectively.[4][7] In 1988, a drilling project of Kilauea Iki showed that the lava lake depth was deeper than expected by 50-90 feet.[9] This was likely due to the crater floor collapsing during the 1959 eruption.[9][7]

Lava fountain

Some of the most impressive parts of the eruption were the lava fountains that flowed from Puʻu Puaʻi. By November 17, the fountain was reaching 60–80 meters tall with occasional bursts as high as 180 meters. The fountain grew to over 320 meters on November 18. On November 21, the lava lake was over a meter deep over the vent causing ripples across the surface of the lava lake causing lava on the shores to break like waves on a beach. At 7:25 p.m. local time on November 21, the fountain went from 210 meters tall to a few gas bubbles in less than 40 seconds. Some of the fountains were extraordinarily high, reaching nearly 580 m (1,900 ft), among the highest ever recorded.[10]

Magma Budget from USGS

Lava drainback

Tourists on the way to view eruption of the volcano, Oct. 1959
Pu'u Pua'i fountaining event, Oct. 1959
Tourists trekking along a well-worn path through the crater landscape, May 1999

The first episode had 31 million cubic meters of lava flow into Kīlauea Iki with 1 million cubic meters draining back. During the following episodes, a total of 71 million cubic meters of lava was ejected during a month-long eruption that stopped on December 20, 1959. Only 8 million cubic meters of lava remained, 63 million cubic meters of lava drained back into Kīlauea magma reservoir. Often the lava drainback had a higher rate of flow than the eruptions.

On December 15, the highest flow of lava was measured at 1.45 million cubic meters per hour. With every filling and draining of the lava lake, a 'black ledge' was formed along the rim of the crater which is now 15–60 meters wide and 15 meters tall. During lava drainbacks, a giant counter-clockwise whirlpool would form.

Tourism

Drivers may view Kīlauea Iki from either a lookout point or the trailhead parking lot. Guests can hike across Kīlauea Iki by descending from Byron Ledge, which overlooks the crater. The trail crosses the floor of the crater, which once was a lake of lava. Even after 50 years, the parts of the surface are still warm to the touch. Rainwater seeps into the cracks and makes contact with the extremely hot rock below and steam is emitted from various surface cracks. The steam and some rocks are hot enough to cause serious burns.

References

  1. ^ Kilauea summit overflows: Their ages and distribution in the Puna District, Hawai'i - USGS
  2. ^ Helz, Rosalind Tuthill (1993). "Drilling report and core logs for the 1988 drilling of Kilauea Iki lava lake, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, with summary descriptions of the occurrence of foundered crust and fractures in the drill core". doi:10.3133/ofr9315. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Wright, Thomas L.; Klein, Fred W. (2014). "Two hundred years of magma transport and storage at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, 1790-2008". Reston, VA: 258. doi:10.3133/pp1806. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b c d Richter, D. H.; Eaton, J. P.; Murata, K. J.; Ault, W. U.; Krivoy, H. L. (1970). "Chronological narrative of the 1959-60 eruption of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii". Professional Paper. doi:10.3133/pp537E. ISSN 2330-7102.
  5. ^ a b Stovall, Wendy K.; Houghton, B. F.; Gonnermann, H.; Fagents, S. A.; Swanson, D. A. (2011-07-01). "Eruption dynamics of Hawaiian-style fountains: the case study of episode 1 of the Kīlauea Iki 1959 eruption". Bulletin of Volcanology. 73 (5): 511–529. doi:10.1007/s00445-010-0426-z. ISSN 1432-0819.
  6. ^ Stovall, W. K.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Harris, Andrew J. L.; Swanson, Donald A. (2009-02-13). "Features of lava lake filling and draining and their implications for eruption dynamics". Bulletin of Volcanology. 71 (7): 767–780. doi:10.1007/s00445-009-0263-0. ISSN 0258-8900.
  7. ^ a b c Wright, Thomas L.; Klein, Fred W. (2014). "Two hundred years of magma transport and storage at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, 1790-2008". Reston, VA: 258. doi:10.3133/pp1806. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ Gailler, Lydie; Kauahikaua, Jim (2017). "Monitoring the cooling of the 1959 Kīlauea Iki lava lake using surface magnetic measurements". Bulletin of Volcanology. 79 (6): 40. doi:10.1007/s00445-017-1119-7. ISSN 0258-8900.
  9. ^ a b Helz, Rosalind Tuthill (1993). "Drilling report and core logs for the 1988 drilling of Kilauea Iki lava lake, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, with summary descriptions of the occurrence of foundered crust and fractures in the drill core". doi:10.3133/ofr9315. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ Volcano Glossary: Lava Fountain

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kīlauea Iki.
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