Nature
Halemaʻumaʻu, a pit crater within Kīlauea’s summit caldera on Hawaiʻi, is both a sacred place in Hawaiian tradition as the home of Pele and a major focus of one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Once part of a broader summit lava lake, it became a distinct crater after lava drained away in 1894 and collapses deepened it. Major change came in 1924, when explosive eruptions enlarged the crater, spread ash over nearby communities, and killed one person. Renewed activity from 2008 brought a persistent lava lake until the 2018 summit collapse sequence roughly doubled the crater’s size. Since then, water and new lava have repeatedly reshaped it, with eruptive episodes continuing into 2026.
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Mauna Loa Estates, Hawaii · United States
