hikers on the Caldera trail, something of the past
and watch the Pauahi Crater on the Crater Rim Road
the visitor center sits on the Northeastern edge of the caldera
a peek into the barren Halema'uma'u crater
in 2001 a hiking trail ran straight through the Caldera
in 2023 fresh lava has replaced the lake and largely filled Halemaumau
later we tour the insides of the Nahuku orThurston Lava Tube
from the overlook you have a nice overview of the caldera
behind the Visitors Center there is a prime crater overlook
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with the Kilauea Caldera
Kilauea means spewing in Hawaiian, and indeed this shield volcano has
a history of violent and frequent eruptions.
Kilauea surfaced from the ocean only 300.000 years ago and will continue to
grow for another half million years.
Almost all the lava deposits in the park are less then 1000 years old and Kilauea is
continuously refurbishing the area.
Eruptions in 2008 exposed a
lava lake in the pit and poisonous gases escaped, causing the
immediate closure of roads and trails inside the park.
After a series of
eruptions in May 2018, Halema'uma'u and much of the caldera
collapsed. Since then the pit slowly filled in with water, in preparation for the next explosions in 2020, 2021
and 2023.
We visited Pele a couple of times, lastly in 2001. At that time you could walk right up to the edge of the Halema'uma'u
crater pit or take a hike on the caldera floor, something that is not recommended today.
a 2009 Google Maps view of the smoking Halemaumau crater, inside the Kilauea Caldera.
the same view in 2020, Halemaumau and much of the caldera has collapsed. Note the water in the pit
the yellow color suggests that the soil here has a high sulphur content
even in these harsh environments some resilient plants survive
a short trail leads to the Halema'uma'u crater Overlook