Volcano

Kīlauea

Shield volcano · 1,222 m · United States of America

Kīlauea sits on the Pacific Plate, above a hotspot, away from plate boundaries. 75 eruptions are known since the end of the last ice age, the most recent in 2026. Its major eruptions caused at least 5,413 deaths.

Kīlauea, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. This shield volcano, fed by the Hawaiian hotspot, mainly produces very fluid lava.

From 1983 to 2018 the Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption ran almost without pause. In 2018 fissures on its east flank destroyed about 700 homes while part of the summit collapsed. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has watched it since 1912.

Elevation

1,222 m

Type

Shield volcano

Tectonic Setting

Intraplate (hotspot), oceanic crust

Dominant Rock

Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Plate

Pacific Plate

Country

United States of America

Last Eruption

2026

Known Eruptions (Holocene)

75

Max. Explosivity (VEI)

4

Known Fatalities

5,413

Nearby Cities

Cities of more than 20,000 people within 100 km.

• 37 kmHilo52,000 people

Notable Eruptions

Eruptions that caused deaths or damage, or with an explosivity index of 4 and above (NOAA).

• 2018July 2018 Eruption
• 2018April 2018 Eruption · VEI 1
• 2018February 2018 Eruption · VEI 11 death
• 20142014 Eruption
• 2012March 2012 Eruption
• 2012February 2012 Eruption
• 20092009 Eruption
• 20002000 Eruption · VEI 32 deaths
• 19981998 Eruption1 death
• 19931993 Eruption1 death
• 19751975 Eruption · VEI 02 deaths
• 19241924 Eruption · VEI 21 death
• 18231823 Eruption · VEI 0
• 17901790 Eruption · VEI 45,405 deaths

• Wikipedia article

Sources : Global Volcanism Program, 2026. Volcanoes of the World (v. 5.4.0; 7 Aug 2026), Smithsonian Institution, doi:10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW5-2026.5.4 (volcano.si.edu) · NOAA NCEI · USGS · Wikidata