2018 lower Puna eruption

The 2018 lower Puna eruption was a volcanic event on the island of <a href="/facts/Hawaii_(island)/6CeBU0t6">Hawaiʻi</a>, on <a href="/facts/K%25C4%25ABlauea/EjMbfcUW">Kīlauea</a> volcano's East <a href="/facts/Rift_zone/Cs5gLJ3o">Rift Zone</a> that began on May 3, 2018. It is related to <a href="/facts/Pu%25CA%25BBu_%25CA%25BB%25C5%258C%25CA%25BB%25C5%258D/0k8tBITm">the larger eruption</a> of Kīlauea that began on January 3, 1983, though some <a href="/facts/Volcanologist/XQdxVTCC">volcanologists</a> and USGS scientists have discussed whether to classify it as a new eruption. Outbreaks of lava fountains up to 300 feet (90 m) high, lava flows, and <a href="/facts/Volcanic_gas/uu7qYRHS">volcanic gas</a> in the <a href="/facts/Leilani_Estates%2c_Hawaii/P6Sus6c1">Leilani Estates</a> subdivision were preceded by earthquakes and <a href="/facts/Deformation_(volcanology)/ksvgKJCH">ground deformation</a> that created cracks in the roads.
On May 4, a <a href="/facts/2018_Hawaii_earthquake/Q1JVU69t">6.9 magnitude earthquake</a> hit <a href="/facts/Puna%2c_Hawaii/kEDjGkWs">Puna</a>. By May 27, 2018, 24 fissures had erupted lava in and near the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions. The eruption forced the evacuation of approximately two thousand residents. The <a href="/facts/Puna_Geothermal_Venture/X2JyTz8q">Puna Geothermal Venture</a>, which provided one-quarter of the island's electricity, was forced to shut down and was later damaged by lava. The fissures had sent lava rivers that buried part of <a href="/facts/Hawaii_Route_137/wRdArKAK">Hawaii Route 137</a> on May 19, and began flowing into the ocean.
On May 29, lava from a new northeastern flow overran <a href="/facts/Hawaii_Route_132/uEI5LBjd">Hawaii Route 132</a>, cutting the access between <a href="/facts/Kapoho%2c_Hawaii/dcS0tshh">Kapoho</a> and <a href="/facts/Pahoa/80lI1MlY">Pāhoa</a>. The massive lava flow reached the Pacific Ocean at Kapoho Bay on June 4. Lava entered the Kapoho Crater and evaporated <a href="/facts/Green_Lake_(Hawaii)/gk4evN2u">Green Lake</a>, which had been the largest natural freshwater lake in Hawaiʻi. On the night of June 4–5, the northeastern flow of lava speedily moved forward and destroyed the subdivision of <a href="/facts/Vacationland_Hawaii/dcS0tshh">Vacationland Hawaii</a>. By June 5, <a href="/facts/Kapoho_Bay/dcS0tshh">Kapoho Bay</a> had been filled in with lava now forming a point where the bay had been. The volcanic activity was the most destructive in the United States since the <a href="/facts/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens/zTAUEUz0">1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens</a>.
By August 7, 13.7 square miles (35 km2) of land had been covered by lava flows. About 875 acres (3.54 km2) of new land has been created in the ocean. The official number of houses destroyed by the eruption reached 700 on July 9. It was estimated that recovery efforts would cost more than $800 million (2018 USD). By early August the eruption had almost completely subsided, and on December 5, it was declared to have ended after three months of inactivity.

2018 lower Puna eruption open-in-new

2018 lower Puna eruption