The 1959-60 Eruption of Kilauea Volcano' 



By Donald H. Richter and Jerry P. Eaton 



Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Hawaii National Park 



[With 2 plates] 



At 8:08 p.m. on November 14, 1959, after nearly 5 years of qui- 

 escence, Kilauea, Hawaii's youngest volcano, renewed activity with 

 an eruption at its summit. Thus began the spectacular surface dis- 

 play of the most complete sequence of eruptive activity yet recorded 

 at Kilauea. Beginning with the inflation of the volcano by lava well- 

 ing up from below and leading to a summit eruption, followed by ac- 

 celerated inflation and breakdown of the rift zone to produce a flank 

 eruption, and culminating in rapid deflation of the summit region 

 with consequent collapse in the summit caldera,^ the volcano per- 

 formed as if on a vast geologic stage. As the geoscientists at the 

 U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Observatory closely followed the 

 unrolling of this phenomenal volcanic sequence, they knew they were 

 experiencing a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to add to our meager 

 knowledge of the physics and chemistry of the earth's interior. 



Kilauea, on the large island of Hawaii, is the southeasternmost of 

 tlie volcanoes that form the mid-Pacific Plawaiian Archipelago (fig. 

 1). Built principally by the outpourings of many thousands of 

 basaltic lava flows, Kilauea is a broad shield volcano rising 4,000 feet 

 above sea level and some 20,000 feet above the ocean floor. Topo- 

 graphically Kilauea is only a slight bulge on the southeast slopes of 

 its companion volcano, lofty Mauna Loa, standing 13,680 feet above 

 sea level. Geologically, however, the two are separate volcanoes. 

 Eruptions of Hawaiian volcanoes are generally confined to the sum- 

 mit areas or to the two or more principal rift, zones that extend down 

 the volcanoes' flanks from the summit and disappear under the ocean. 

 On Kilauea, two rifts, a southwest and east rift, originate at the 

 summit caldera, a downfaulted area 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. 



1 Reprinted by permission from The New Scientist, vol. 7, pp. 994-997, Apr. 21, 19G0. 

 Publication of article authorized by the Director, U.S. Geological Survey. 



2 A large, generally circular, volcanic depression whose diameter Is much greater than 

 the Included volcanic vents. 



349 



