Haleakala (United States): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Haleakala is a shield volcano located in the United States with an elevation of 3,053 meters, sitting within an intraplate and oceanic crust tectonic setting. Official records from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program document a total of 40 confirmed eruptions, stretching from an earliest recorded year of 7950 BCE up to the latest recorded eruption in 1750 CE.

Eruption History and Chronology

The confirmed eruption record for Haleakala spans millennia, utilizing various evidence methods such as calibrated and uncalibrated radiocarbon dating as well as anthropological correlations. The 40 confirmed eruptions are distributed across multiple centuries and activity areas, including the southwest (SW) rift zone, the east rift zone, and the Haleakala crater.

Early activity in the record begins around 7950 BCE in the SW rift zone at approximately 1,800 meters elevation, recorded with a start year uncertainty of 200 years using calibrated 14C isotopic evidence. Subsequent millennia show intermittent eruptive episodes across different zones. For example, activity in the east rift zone occurred around 3070 BCE with an uncalibrated 14C uncertainty of 40 years, while upper SW rift zone activity (~2,600 meters) took place around 1310 BCE with an uncertain modifier. Later historical activity includes eruptions within the Haleakala crater (such as Puu o ka O'o) around 980 CE with a 50-year uncertainty, and the final recorded eruption in the SW rift zone (180–360 meters) in 1750 CE.

Temporal Distribution of Activity

Eruptive events at Haleakala are recorded across various centuries BCE and CE. The confirmed eruption count of 40 is spread unevenly across time, with centuries such as the 23rd century BCE recording two events, while other periods show single or multiple events depending on the available isotopic and correlative data.