Kilauea: Bound to Produce Lava Again
As the youngest and most active volcano in the world, Kilauea is inherently unpredictable in its ways. We know that it will erupt again, but exactly when and precisely how are unanswerable questions. In late 2020, after a relatively quiet period, on December 20th, a lava lake suddenly formed in the Halema’uma’u crater, and visitors were able to see lava churning.
From the Kilauea Overlook, where a day before the crater lake had been water-filled, now it had been subsumed by lava, showing how quickly things can change in a volcanic zone. Several webcams offer different views of the summit and caldera, allowing you to keep an eye on Kilauea’s activity leading up to your visit. And you may just catch the very moment when Kilauea’s lava begins flowing outward again.
Lava Lakes and a Restless Volcanic Crater
From 2008 until 2018, lava lakes in the Halema’uma’u crater formed and reformed in a near-constant series of eruptions. The surface would explode and give way, allowing more lava to rise to the surface, collapsing into itself, only to fill again with lava from within. Over time, the amount of lava grew and expanded to fill nearly the whole crater, which eventually gave way and coincided with the infamous lower East Rift Zone eruption. In the months that followed, throughout the summer of 2018, visitors to the Big Island could witness lava flows in several areas, all right at the doorstep of Volcano Village Lodge.
See Lava Up-Close That Is Only a Few Years Old
Even though there is no current lava flowing on Kilauea, the aftermath of the recent volcanic activity of 2018 offers a rare opportunity to see some of the newest hardened lava on the planet. You can trace where lava made its way from the lower East Rift Zone and flowed towards the ocean, covering some 13 square miles with new volcanic material. The lava lake in the crater, although hardened currently, is still stunning in its magnitude and well worth a trip to the overlook.
Reserve your stay and revel in the fact that every square inch of Hawaii’s landmass, from the sea’s edge to the summits above, was formed by lava!
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