The crater walls inside the Pu`u `O`o cone
Summary of Eruption Episodes
Scientists at the
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
have subdivided the multi-decade-long Pu`u `O`o eruption of Kilauea into
"episodes". Each new episode denotes vigorous new
eruptive activity either from a different vent or after a pause or slowdown.
For example, Episode 54 of the Pu`u `O`o-Kupaianaha eruption began on
January 30, 1997 at a new location (Napau Crater), and Episode 55 began on
February 24, 1997 after a 24-day pause. Some episodes are well defined;
others are more arbitrary. Overall they provide convenient markers along
the course of an eruption. At times, two episodes have occured
simultaneously (for example, episodes 48 and 49), which can
add to the confusion of people not familiar with this
numbering scheme. Please see near
the bottom of
this document for an explanation of the terminology used here.
Episode
number
Episode
Start
(M/Da/Yr)
Repose
Period
(days)Episode
Length
Flow
Area
km2
Flow
Volume
106m3
Eruption
Rate
(103m3/hr)
Vent
Location
(see below)
1
1/03/83
99 hrs 4.8 14 141 Fissure 1
2
2/25/83
33.0 174 hrs 2.7 14 80 Pu`u `O`o & "1123" vent
3
3/28/83
23.5 290 hrs 7.9 38 131 Pu`u `O`o
4
6/13/83
65.3 100 hrs 2.2 11 110 Pu`u `O`o
5
6/29/83
11.9 90 hrs 3.4 13 144 Pu`u `O`o
6
7/22/83
19.3 73 hrs 2.0 9.0 123 Pu`u `O`o
7
8/15/83
20.6 56 hrs 3.7 14 250 Pu`u `O`o
8
9/06/83
19.5 24 hrs 2.0 8.0 333 Pu`u `O`o
9
9/15/83
8.4 52 hrs 2.1 8.0 154 Pu`u `O`o
10
10/05/83
17.2 64 hrs 2.7 14 219 Pu`u `O`o
11
11/05/83
29.3 43 hrs 4.3 12 279 Pu`u `O`o
12
11/30/83
22.4 35 hrs 3.0 8.0 229 Pu`u `O`o
13
1/20/84
50.1 42 hrs 2.6 10 238 Pu`u `O`o
14
1/30/84
8.3 19 hrs 2.1 6.0 316 Pu`u `O`o
15
2/14/84
14.3 19 hrs 2.2 8.0 421 Pu`u `O`o
16
3/03/84
17.0 32 hrs 3.2 12 375 Pu`u `O`o
17
3/30/84
25.3 23 hrs 3.0 10 435 Pu`u `O`o
18
4/18/84
18.6 60 hrs 6.6 24 400 Pu`u `O`o
19
5/16/84
25.0 44 hrs 1.4 2.0 45 Pu`u `O`o
20
6/07/84
20.8 9 hrs 1.6 4.0 444 Pu`u `O`o
21
6/30/84
22.2 8 hrs 1.9 5.7 713 Pu`u `O`o
22
7/08/84
8.0 15 hrs 2.7 7.7 513 Pu`u `O`o
23
7/28/84
19.1 18 hrs 3.3 9.5 528 Pu`u `O`o
24
8/19/84
21.7 20 hrs 3.7 11.6 580 Pu`u `O`o
25
9/19/84
29.9 13.5 hrs 3.3 11.1 822 Pu`u `O`o
26
11/02/84
43.3 5 hrs 1.6 6.6 1320 Pu`u `O`o
27
11/20/84
17.3 10 hrs 2.3 8.4 840 Pu`u `O`o
28
12/03/84
13.4 14.5 hrs 3.6 12.5 855 Pu`u `O`o
29
1/03/85
29.1 16 hrs 3.8 13.0 813 Pu`u `O`o
30
2/04/85
31.0 21 hrs 4.1 14.1 671 Pu`u `O`o
31
3/13/85
36.2 21.5 hrs 4.8 19.4 843 Pu`u `O`o
32
4/21/85
38.5 17.5 hrs 4.8 16.3 906 Pu`u `O`o
33
6/12/85
51.6 6 hrs 2.2 7.9 1317 Pu`u `O`o
34
7/06/85
23.6 14 hrs 2.3 10.6 757 Pu`u `O`o
35
7/26/85
18.8 7 hrs 2.9 7.2 1029 Pu`u `O`o
35A
7/27/85
0.7 384 hrs 0.8 4.5 12 Fissure 2
36
9/02/85
21.1 9.5 hrs 2.7 11.5 1211 Pu`u `O`o
37
9/24/85
21.8 12 hrs 4.4 14.7 1225 Pu`u `O`o
38
10/21/85
25.9 8.5 hrs 3.9 14.8 1762 Pu`u `O`o
39
11/13/85
23.1 10 hrs 4.2 13.7 1398 Pu`u `O`o
40
1/01/86
48.5 13.5 hrs 4.0 11.6 859 Pu`u `O`o
41
1/27/86
25.8 11.5 hrs 13.7 Pu`u `O`o
42
2/22/86
25.3 13.1 hrs 12.1 Pu`u `O`o
43
3/22/86
27.1 11.4 hrs 10.3 Pu`u `O`o
44
4/13/86
22.2 11 hrs 11.5 Pu`u `O`o
45
5/07/86
23.5 15.1 hrs 9.4 Pu`u `O`o
46
6/02/86
24.6 10.9 hrs 9.8 Pu`u `O`o
47
6/26/86
23.6 12.6 hrs 8.8 Pu`u `O`o
(1-47 summary)
3.5 yrs 26 385
48
7/20/86
24 ~5.5 yrs 41 ~500 Kupaianaha
49
11/8/87
none 18 days 4 11 Fissure 3
50
2/17/92
11 15 days 0.5 3 Pu`u `O`o Flank
51
3/7/92
4 161 days 11 32 Pu`u `O`o Flank
52
10/3/92
none 15 days 0.5 2
Pu`u `O`o Flank
53
2/20/93
none ~4 yrs ~14.6 ~535 Pu`u `O`o Flank
54
1/30/97
none 1 day 0.24 0.3
Napau
55
2/24/97 24 continuing ~100
(*) ~1900 (*)
Pu`u `O`o and Flank
* estimated values as of Jan 2000
