Images

A M 7.7 earthquake on November 29, 1975, was located beneath the south flank of Kīlauea.

The magnitude-7.7 earthquake caused a nearly continuous zone of ground cracking and faulting for about 25 km (15 mi) along the south flank inland of Halapē.

Fractures in Crater Rim Road, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, caused by the November 29, 1975, earthquake beneath the south flank of Kīlauea Volcano. Only a few meters (yards) from Kīlauea's summit crater (out of sight left of guardrails), large sections adjacent the crater wall slumped toward the crater, forming these fractures.

Ground cracks along Crater Rim Drive in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park caused by the M 7.7 earthquake on November 25, 1975. The cracks resulted from slumping of the ground toward the rim of Kīlauea Crater, the edge of which is left of the guardrails.

Mauna Loa 1975 eruption. Lava fountains up to 20 m (65 ft) high erupted from fissures on the north flank of the volcano early Sunday morning, July 6, 1975.

A three-day long eruption in July 1974 sent lava flows onto the floor of Kīlauea Volcano's summit caldera, where they spread out beneath the western caldera wall.

Low fountains and repeated overflows at the Mauna Ulu crater build the shield higher. Lava flows were mostly brief and short, thereby increasing the relief between the top of the shield and its base. The perched lava pond shown in the previous photo is bypassed by the two rivers.

Perched lava pond forming between Mauna Ulu and Pu'u Huluhulu, January 25, 1974. Several episodes of renewed growth in height of Mauna Ulu occurred in early 1974. The first sent much lava toward Pu'u Huluhulu, where a perched lava pond developed. This photo shows lava in the pond spilling over the enclosing levee and making it higher.

Note the two smaller vents on the west (left) side of the crater above the lake, which is about 150 m (500 ft) across.

Three Fingered Jack (2390 m or 7840 ft) is a volcanic peak in central Oregon near Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters.

Generalized geologic map of the Eocene Absaroka volcanic field (modified from Smedes and Prostka, 1972 and “Geology of Wyoming”).

Perched lava lake above former ‘Alae Crater, September 8, 1972. Summit of Mauna Ulu shield fumes west of ‘Alae, and wooded Pu‘u Huluhulu looms in background.

Lava pours into deep west pit of Makaopuhi Crater from a fissure system cutting the floor of the larger east crater. August 9, 1972. Lava fed by flows from 'Alae repeatedly cascaded 200 m (650 ft) into the deep pit of Makaopuhi Crater, 1.1 km (0.7 mi) from 'Alae, in 1972, nearly filling it by August.

Spattering in Mauna Ulu crater and at vent B along the trench February 28, 1972. 'Alae is the large dark oval area southeast (right) of vent B. This is the first major spattering to have occurred in the trench during the eruption. At times vent B supplied lava that moved westward in the trench and spilled into Mauna Ulu crater.

This was only about 4 days after eruptive activity resumed at Mauna Ulu after temporarily ending on October 15, 1971. Lava flowed down the trench and reoccupied the lava tube into 'Alae.

The puddle was all that remained of the lava lake in the crater, and it had disappeared by October 15, when the eruption temporarily paused.

As erupting fissures migrated down Kīlauea's southwest rift zone in September 1971 for the first time in 52 years, many spectators hiked into the Ka‘ū Desert for a closer view of the rare event. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park rangers patrolled the area on horseback to keep people a safe distance from the lava fountains. Photo courtesy of NPS.

Seaward sliding of Kīlauea's south flank over many thousands of years has resulted in large ground displacements along shallow faults that break the surface, as shown by the cliffs ("pali" in Hawaiian) seen here. Most of the movement along the faults occur during sudden slip that cause large earthquakes.

Mauna Ulu trench, with crater in background. Looking west, May 25, 1971. The trench developed by collapse along the lava tube between Mauna Ulu and 'Alae, but the process was very complicated. It was separated from the summit crater by a partition of rubble.

Littoral explosion formed by lava entering the ocean from Mauna Ulu through 'Alae Crater, April 12, 1971. Water was briefly trapped below lava, flashed to steam, and powered the explosion.

Seismic geyser in eruption in 1970.