Kilauea (United States): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Kilauea is a shield volcano located in the United States, sitting on an intraplate / oceanic crust setting at an elevation of 1,222 meters, with geographic coordinates at latitude 19.421 and longitude -155.287. Official records from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program document a rich history of activity spanning thousands of years, characterized by diverse eruption styles, varying Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) levels, and multiple active vents and zones such as Halemaumau, the Southwest (SW) rift zone, and the Kilauea Caldera.

Overview of Recorded Eruptions

The official volcanism database for Kilauea confirms a total of 75 eruptions across its recorded history. These events range from prehistoric activity dated via isotopic and tephrochronological methods to modern documented events verified by direct human observation and photo or video evidence. The earliest recorded eruption in the collection dates back to 4650 BCE, while recent historical activity extends into the 21st century CE, concluding with an eruption starting on December 23, 2024, and ending on March 25, 2026.

Across the 70 eruptions where a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) has been assessed, the largest recorded magnitude reached a VEI of 4.0. This notably includes the explosive activity at the Kilauea Caldera (associated with Keanakakoi ash) in November 1790. Most other recorded events feature lower explosive indices, such as VEI 0 or VEI 1, reflecting Kilauea's predominant shield volcano behavior.

Chronological Distribution of Activity

Kilauea's confirmed eruptions are distributed across numerous centuries, demonstrating recurring volcanic episodes from antiquity through the modern era. The distribution of confirmed eruptions by century highlights varied levels of documented or inferred activity:

• Ancient and Prehistoric Periods: Records extend back through the 47th, 33rd, 29th, 22nd, 21st, 17th, 16th, 8th, 5th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BCE, as well as the 1st century BCE, with single or sparse recorded events evidenced by methods such as uncalibrated carbon-14 dating.
• Common Era History: Documented activity continues across the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries CE. For instance, an eruption in the 9th century CE (specifically starting around 900 CE with a 50-year uncertainty window) was identified via tephrochronology correlation.
• Modern Era: The 20th century CE accounts for 32 recorded eruptions, featuring frequent historical observations at sites like Halemaumau, such as the short-lived eruption from June 24 to June 27, 1897. The 21st century CE includes 5 confirmed eruptions, culminating in the 2024–2026 activity at Halema'uma'u Crater.