Kīlauea Iki

Today, the surface of the lava lake has cooled and it is now a popular hiking destination to view the aftermath of an eruption.

[4][3] Volcanic ejecta from the main fissure on the western side of the crater formed the 70 meter high Pu'u Pua'i tephra cone (Hawaiian for 'gushing hill').

[5][7] On December 11, 1959, at the end of the 8th episode, the lava lake formed in the crater reached its greatest volume (58 million cubic yards) and depth (414 feet).

[4] The final volume and depth of the lava lake after the end of the eruption on December 20 was approximately 50 million cubic yards and 365 feet, respectively.

[2][3] Early warning signs of the impending eruption included outward tilting at the summit region and increased seismicity.

[4][3][8] Tiltmeter measurements between November 1957 and February 1959 indicated that magma was migrating towards the summit, causing swelling of the ground surface.

[3] By early November, more than 1,000 earthquakes were being recorded each day and tiltmeter measurements indicated swelling 3 times faster than previous rates.

[12][3] Additionally, the later eruption episodes were sourced from deeper sections of the magma chambers, resulting in higher concentrations of olivine.