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3 photos of Kilauea volcano during its eruption in May 1924. each photo measurwes 5x7 inches.The May 1924 Explosive Eruption of Kīlauea
Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during seismic crises prior to the 1924 eruption at Kīlauea\'s summit. (Credit: Maehara, Kenichi. Public domain.)
Halema‘uma‘u, the largest crater in Kīlauea Caldera, was the site of more than 50 explosive events during a 2.5-week period in May 1924. The explosions were then, and remain today, the most powerful at Kīlauea since the early 19th century, throwing blocks weighing as much as 14 tons from the crater. Halema‘uma‘u doubled in diameter, deepened to about 400 m (1300 ft), and drastically changed in behavior—for the next 85 years it no longer hosted a long-lived lava lake, until one returned in 2008.
The May 1924 Explosive Eruption of KīlaueaKapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during sei...Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during seismic crises prior to the 1924 eruption at Kīlauea\'s summit. (Credit: Maehara, Kenichi. Public domain.)
Halema‘uma‘u, the largest crater in Kīlauea Caldera, was the site of more than 50 explosive events during a 2.5-week period in May 1924. The explosions were then, and remain today, the most powerful at Kīlauea since the early 19th century, throwing blocks weighing as much as 14 tons from the crater. Halema‘uma‘u doubled in diameter, deepened to about 400 m (1300 ft), and drastically changed in behavior—for the next 85 years it no longer hosted a long-lived lava lake, until one returned in 2008.
Dust cloud caused by the collapse of the Halemaumau crater floor at...Dust cloud caused by the collapse of the Halemaumau crater floor at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, May 9, 1924. (Public domain.)
Prelude to the eruption – a draining lava lake and a swarm of earthquakesA lava lake drained out of Halema‘uma‘u in February 1924, followed by a severe earthquake swarm in lower Puna, 50 km down the east rift zone. The seismic activity began building in early April, reaching its peak on April 23 with ground cracking, faulting, coastal subsidence, and hundreds of felt earthquakes. These events indicated the transfer of magma from the summit to lower Puna, either the same magma that left Halemaumau or stored magma that was pushed ahead by that which drained away.
Halema‘uma‘u Crater was 115 m (377 ft) deep following the draining of the lake. As seismicity waned in lower Puna, the crater floor began to collapse on April 29, deepening to more than 150 m (490 ft) on May 1 and nearly 210 m (690 ft) on May 7. Frequent dust clouds indicated continuing collapse in the following days.
Explosive events lasted for two and a half weeks.The first explosion, neither seen nor heard, took place during the night of May 9–10 with small rocks reported to have been thrown out of the crater. Larger explosions followed, starting on May 13 and spaced a few hours apart. During the same time, Halemaumau continued to collapse, its failing walls contributing to the debris thrown from the crater. Clouds of rock particles ejected into the air often obscured the crater from view. Toward the end, it became difficult to distinguish the cloud of a small explosion confined to the crater from the dust cloud generated by a rock avalanche; consequently, the end date of the eruption is somewhat uncertain but is taken to be May 27, when the last observed ejecta left the crater.
Explosive eruption column from Halema‘uma‘u Crater 11:15 a.m. May 1...Explosive eruption column from Halema‘uma‘u Crater 11:15 a.m. May 18, 1924 - one of many in a series of similar events during May 11-27. Photo from northwest rim of Kīlauea summit, present site of HVO. (Credit: Maehara, K. Public domain.)
Block weighing about 8-10 tons about 1 km (0.6 mi) SE of Halema‘uma...View looks away from Halema‘uma‘u, in the direction the block was falling. left to right: Oliver Emerson, Tai Sing Loo (in crater, holding camera), John Stokes. Photo taken 9:30 a.m. May 22, 1924. (Credit: Stearns, H. T.. Public domain.)
The larger explosion clouds reached several kilometers high, with an maximum of 9 km (about 5.5 mi) estimated by Ruy Finch of HVO. Trade winds were blowing from the northeast during the eruption, yet wet ash fell at least once on railroad tracks in lower Puna, northeast of Halema‘uma‘u. This is consistent with the ash cloud rising about 5 km (3 mi) or more into the jet stream wind, which blows from the west. Gutters on the roof of a store in Glenwood, 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Halema‘uma‘u, collapsed from the weight of muddy ash, also suggestive of jet-stream transport.
Strong rainstorms, a few with lightning, accompanied some of the explosions, but it is impossible to know fo
