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Explosive Eruption In Halemaumau Crater in Hawaii After 84 Years!



Posted: Friday, March 21, 2008

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  After 84 years, at 2:58 am, Wednesday, March 19,2008, a small explosion occurred at Halemaumau Crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano. The explosion scattered debris over an area of about 30 hectares covering portion of Crater Rim Drive and damaging the Halemaumau overlook. The activity was driven by hydrothermal gas sources as no lava erupted. Rock debris extended halfway across the floor of Halemaumau Crater. The debris was composed of rock fragments that were derived from the walls of Halemaumau Crater.

The main explosion at 2:58 was associated with long period seismicity which was erroneously reported as an earthquake earlier.  The explosion produced a small crater along the east wall of Halemaumau that is about 2-30 meters in diameter. Sulfur dioxide emissions from the new explosion crater are still elevated, and sounds of rock breaking are frequent.

This is the first explosion in Halemaumau Crater since 1924 and the first eruption of any kind in Kilauea Caldera since Spetember 1982.


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