Kīlauea erupted continuously from 1983 to 2018 at the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent.
Kīlauea is a shield volcano on Hawaiʻi Island and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Its long-lived East Rift Zone eruption began on 3 January 1983 at the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent. Lava flows eventually covered large areas, destroyed homes, and extended the island’s coastline in places.
The Puʻu ʻŌʻō episode ended in 2018 during a major eruption in Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone. That event opened large fissures, destroyed the community of Leilani Estates, and caused the summit crater to collapse as magma drained from the volcano.
Kīlauea is often confused with nearby Mauna Loa because both are enormous Hawaiian shield volcanoes. Mauna Loa is larger by volume, but Kīlauea has historically displayed more frequent eruptive activity and is a separate volcanic system.