Puʻuʻōʻō
Puʻuʻōʻō
What: Volcanic cone in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone
Where: 23 miles south of Hilo on the Island of Hawaiʻi
Long a symbol of the awe-inspiring force and magnitude of Hawaiʻi’s volcanic power, Puʻuʻōʻō was in a state of continuous eruption from 1983 until 2018 – the longest-lasting rift zone eruption in 500 years. Puʻuʻōʻō is one of two craters (along with the famed Halemaʻumaʻu Crater) that make up the mighty Kīlauea, the most active volcano in the world.
Over the course of Puʻuʻōʻō’s 35-year eruption, outflows ranged from 1,500-foot-high lava fountains to slow, steady trickles. In 1990, powerful lava streams engulfed and destroyed the historic town of Kalapana in Lower Puna, adding 230 acres to the Island of Hawaiʻi’s southeastern coastline. The eruption ended in April 2018, when a surge of seismic activity caused Puʻuʻōʻō’s lava to drain from the crater and spill out of new vents and fissures more than 10 miles away, an event that became known as the Lower Puna 2018 Eruption. Though scientists do not predict the magma will return to Puʻuʻōʻō, Pele – the Goddess of Fire in Hawaiian culture – is known for her fickle ways.
If you want to get a good look at Puʻuʻōʻō, Kīlauea and other Island of Hawaiʻi volcanoes, consider taking a scenic air tour of the region from one of our many tour providers.
Where: 23 miles south of Hilo on the Island of Hawaiʻi
Long a symbol of the awe-inspiring force and magnitude of Hawaiʻi’s volcanic power, Puʻuʻōʻō was in a state of continuous eruption from 1983 until 2018 – the longest-lasting rift zone eruption in 500 years. Puʻuʻōʻō is one of two craters (along with the famed Halemaʻumaʻu Crater) that make up the mighty Kīlauea, the most active volcano in the world.
Over the course of Puʻuʻōʻō’s 35-year eruption, outflows ranged from 1,500-foot-high lava fountains to slow, steady trickles. In 1990, powerful lava streams engulfed and destroyed the historic town of Kalapana in Lower Puna, adding 230 acres to the Island of Hawaiʻi’s southeastern coastline. The eruption ended in April 2018, when a surge of seismic activity caused Puʻuʻōʻō’s lava to drain from the crater and spill out of new vents and fissures more than 10 miles away, an event that became known as the Lower Puna 2018 Eruption. Though scientists do not predict the magma will return to Puʻuʻōʻō, Pele – the Goddess of Fire in Hawaiian culture – is known for her fickle ways.
If you want to get a good look at Puʻuʻōʻō, Kīlauea and other Island of Hawaiʻi volcanoes, consider taking a scenic air tour of the region from one of our many tour providers.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Discover 150 miles of hiking trails through volcanic craters, scalded deserts and rainforests, as well as petroglyphs, a walk-in lava tube and one of the most active volcanoes on earth, Kīlauea, which has been erupting since 1983.
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