Kilauea Lava Flow entering the sea, 2001 August, Big Island of Hawaii
Kilauea is an active volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five shield volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaii. It is the most recent of a series of volcanoes that have created the Hawaiian archipelago, as the Pacific Plate moves over the Hawaii hotspot. Kilauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language, referring to its frequent outpouring of lava. The Puʻu ʻŌʻō cone has been continuously erupting in the eastern rift-zone since 1983, making it the longest rift-zone eruption of the last 200 years. Thirty-four eruptions have taken place since 1952, not including the current episode. Lava less than 1000 years old covers 90% of Kilauea and the volume of erupted material is large enough to pave a road across the world three times.
