What is the Puu Oo Crater?
The Puu Oo Crater
is a cinder-and-spatter cone which was created during explosive eruptions in the eastern rift zone of the Kilauea Volcano. A series of lava fountains which began in 1983 built the massive cinder-and-spatter cone. The same eruption which created the Puu Oo crater also caused a lot of damage to the local area, from 1983-1991 lava flows from Kilauea invaded southern coastal flank area and buried 8 miles of highway, destroyed 181 homes, as well as a visitor center of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The Puu Oo crater
, located on the Big Island, recently began over flowing again. Lava flowed over the western side of the crater on Tuesday and fed a new flow moving down the crater, but the flows ceased soon after. Other recent activity includes a floor collapse that happened in August, which dropped the crater floor by about 245 feet, in turn lowering the level of the lava lake. On august 21, more lava appeared in the crater and since the lava lake has continued to fill.
See the Volcanoes National Park!
Although no one can guarantee when or if lava will be visible while visiting the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island people flock from all over the world to visit this majestic park. The Puu Oo crater is in a remote location and not accessible , but at certain times on a clear night the sky will visibly glow orange from certain lookouts around the park. With the chance to see one of Mother Nature’s most awe-inspiring, powerful forces it’s a trip that’s hard to pass up during your stay in Hawaii. Big Island Volcano Tours
offers round trip tours from Kauai, Oahu, and Maui as well as a locally originating tour on the Big Island.