Reconstructing the deadly eruptive events of 1790 CE at K lauea Volcano, Hawai'i

A deadly eruption of Kīlauea Volcano in 1790 CE, which killed numerous people, was reconstructed through detailed analysis of the Keanakāko'i Tephra deposits. The study identified three successive units that recorded shifts in eruption style, aligning with survivor accounts from 46 years later. The findings suggest that a wet ash fall, followed by pulsing pyroclastic density currents likely caused by phreatic activity, was responsible for the fatalities. This reconstruction highlights the potential danger of similar future eruptions at Kīlauea, representing one of its most hazardous and unpredictable threats.

Swanson, D. A., Weaver, S. J., & Houghton, B. F. (2014). Reconstructing the deadly eruptive events of 1790 CE at K lauea Volcano, Hawai’i. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 127(3-4), 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1130/b31116.1