The Surreal Images Are a Reminder of Past Eruptions
Kīlauea is no stranger to eruptions. Halemaʻumaʻu Crater was actually home to a water lake that formed last May. It stayed there until December 2020, when an eruption of lava evaporated the lake. In its place, a lava lake formed. A black cap of rock eventually formed over the top of the lake, and activity died down in May 2021. But now the glowing lava is back once again.
The volcano had a much more serious eruption in 2018, affecting what’s known as the East Rift Zone. The eruption also saw the disappearance of the volcano’s lava lake as fissures opened on its flanks. Lava ended up destroying portions of communities on in the East Rift Zone and piling up some 900 feet (274 meters) thick in a few locations. The 2018 eruption was Kīlauea’s biggest in 200 years.
