GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1021-B

Hawaiian Volcanoes 

During 1952

By GORDON A. MACDONALD

A CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1021-B

A report of the Hawaiian 

Volcano Observatory

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1955
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Douglas McKay, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. E. Wrather, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

Washington 25, D. C. - Price 55 cents (paper cover)
CONTENTS

Page

Abstract _____________________________________ 15

Introduction. _ _____________________________________. 16

Acknowledgments. _______________________________,_ 16

Seismographs and tiltmeters___________________________ 17

Earthquakes _ ________ __ ___________ 20

Description of individual earthquakes.__________________ 23

The tsunami of November 4________________________ 33

The south Hawaii earthquakes of March and April____________ 35

Tilting of ground___________ _______________________ 44

Crack measurements.._________________________________ 47

Geomagnetic observations.______________________________ 49

Temperature measurements_.________________________ _._ 50

Rainfall records.___________J___________________ 51

Volcanic conditions during 1952______________________________ 51

The eruption of Kilauea__________________________________________ 53

Brief history of activity in Kilauea caldera.________________ 53

Narrative of the eruption__________________________ 56

Opening phase of the eruption, June 27-28________________ 56

The phase of the large lava lake, June 27-July 5___-__-___---_ 58

Cone-building phase, July 5-August 9_____________ __. 67

Declining phase, August 9-November 10__________________.__ 71

Composition of the lava___________________________________ 79

Volume of the lava_______________________________ 81

Rate of extrusion of lava_________________________ 83

Temperature of the erupting lava.____________________-_ 85

Viscosity of the lava______________________________ 90

The lava fountains.___________________________________ 91

The lava lake_________________________________ 92

The fume cloud__________________________________ 97

Earthquakes preceding and accompanying the eruption ____ 100

Volcanic tremor.______.__________________ _ . _. 101

Literature cited-______________________________ _ 104

Index______________________________________ 107

ILLUSTRATIONS

[Plates 1-14 follow page 108]

Plate 1. Lava fountains and lake at 03h, June 28, 1952.

2. Lava fountains in Halemaumau on July 2.

3. Closeup of large fountain at southwest sinkhole.

4. Fountains and lava lake in Halemaumau on July 6.

5. Cinder cones, lava lake, and lava ring in Halemaumau on July 19.

m
IV CONTENTS

Plate~6. Aerial photograph of Halemaumau on July 28.

7. Lava rivers feed in lava lake, and fumaroles at the lava ring, in Halemaumau on July 29.

8. Activity in Halemaumau on August 12.

9. Activity in Halemaumau on August 21.

10. Spatter cones and small lava lake in Halemaumau on September 9.

11. Small lava lake overflowing, in Halemaumau on September 20.

12. Aerial photograph of Halemaumau on June 21, 1951.

13. Aerial photograph of Halemaumau on November 5, 1952.

14. Volcanic tremor recorded on July 25.

Page

Figure 1. Map of Hawaii, showing location of seismograph stations and 

heights reached by the tsunami of November 4, 1952 and April 

1, 1946________________________________ 20

2. Map of Kilauea Crater area, showing the location of seismograph,

tilt-measuring, and crack-measuring stations _______________ 21

3. Graph showing variations in number of earthquakes and weekly

seismicity____________________________________________ 22

4. Map of Hilo Bay, showing heights reached by the tsunamis of

November 4, 1952, and April 1, 1946______________ 34

5. Map of southeastern Hawaii, showing earthquake epicenters and

the submarine shield volcano south of Hawaii ______________ 36

6. Graph showing daily seismicity from March 16 to April 30, 1952 _ 37

7. Graph showing relationship between longitude of focus and

time of occurrence of earthquakes____________-_--____-_-_ 41

8. Graph showing hourly seismicity from March I6to21________ 42

9. Graph showing ground tilting during 1952___________________ 44

10. Map of Halemaumau crater before the 1952 eruption__ _____ 48

11. Map of Halemaumau on June 30_______________-___--__-_-_ 62

12. Map of Halemaumau on July 1___________________________ 63

13. Map of Halemaumau on July 4__________________________ 64

14. Map of Halemaumau on July 5__________________________ 65

15. Map of Halemaumau on July 6___________________________ 66

16. Map of Halemaumau on July 16_________________________ 69

17. Map of Halemaumau on July 25_________________________ 70

18. Map of Halemaumau on August 12__________________ ___ 72

19. Map of Halemaumau on September 3_____-_____- __ 74

20. Map of Halemaumau on September 12______________________ 75

21. Map of Halemaumau on September 24____________________ 77

22. Map of Halemaumau on October 21______-__-_--__-_ __-_ 78

23. Map of Halemaumau on November 7_____--_-------__- ___ 80

24. Successive profiles across Halemaumau during the eruption____ 81

25. Successive outlines of the floor of Halemaumau during the eruption________________________________ 82

26. Diagram of rate of lava extrusion_________________________ 84

27. Graph showing temperature decline during the eruption. ______ 86

28. Diagram illustrating the relationship of the lava lake to the

spatter conelets_________-__-_-_--_--_------------------ 97
CONTENTS V

TABLES

Page

TABLE 1. Seismographs and tiltmeters operated by the Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory during 1952__________-_________-___-_____-_ 19

2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian

Volcano Observatory during 1952_______________________ 25

3. Distant earthquakes recorded at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

during 1952_______________________________ 32

4. Ground tilting at seismograph stations on the rim of Kilauea

caldera during 1952____________________________________. 46

5. Crack measurements at Kilauea during 1952________________ 47

6. Difference in vertical intensity of geomagnetism (in gammas) at 

stations on Mauna Loa and Kilauea as compared with that at 

base station 0 during 1952_______________________________ 49

7. Temperature readings at a hot crack in the 1950 Kaapuna lava

flow during 1952__________________________ 50

8. Rainfall during 1952. __________________________ 51

9. Data on eruptions in Halemaumau since 1924________________ 56

10. Volumes of extruded lava and rates of extrusion in Kilauea

caldera since 1823__________________________ 83

11. Temperature measurements made with disappearing-dot pyrometer during the 1952 eruption of Kilauea_________________ 88

A CONTRIBUTION TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952

By GORDON A. MACDONALD

ABSTRACT

The year 1952 opened with the Hawaiian volcanoes quiet. Mauna Loa had 

last erupted in June 1950, for 3 weeks, and Kilauea had not erupted for nearly 

18 years.

During March and April a swarm of more than 4,000 earthquakes originated 

beneath the ocean a few miles south of the island of Hawaii. Their epicenters 

were distributed along a line nearly parallel to the southern shore of the island, 

10 to 15 miles offshore. The line crosses a broad domical structure that probably 

is a shield volcano built against the flank of the Kilauea shield. No evidences of 

submarine volcanic eruption accompanied the earthquakes.

Early in April a series of earthquakes commenced at foci along the east rift 

zone and beneath the caldera region of Kilauea volcano. These were accompanied 

by northward tilting of the ground at the northeast edge of the caldera, indicating 

swelling of the volcanic structure resulting from an increase of volcanic pressure 

beneath Kilauea. The volcano continued uneasy throughout May and June, 

although there was no recognized progression of earthquake hypocenters from 

depth toward the surface.

Kilauea volcano erupted on the night of June 27, 1952. At about 23h40m a 

fissure opened in a northeast-southwest direction across the floor of Halemaumau. 

For the next few hours a continuous line of fountains, 2,600 feet long, played 

along the fissure. Most of the fountains were 50 to 150 feet high, but at the 

southwest end of the fissure a fountain more than 800 feet high overtopped the 

rim of the crater at the beginning of the eruption.

Gradually the big southwest fountain subsided and activity became restricted 

to a smaller part of the fissure. By 04h on June 28 only the northeastern quarter 

of the fissure was active, but at about 04h30m fountains reappeared along the 

southwestern part of the fissure. By that time the old floor of Halemaumau was 

submerged beneath a pool of liquid lava 50 feet deep. Long waves, resembling 

ocean ground swell) rolled across the surface of the pool from the fountains to the 

walls of the crater. A dark crust covered the lava pool but was broken by a 

network of cracks that revealed the bright golden glow of the hot liquid beneath.

The northeastern fountains continued active until July 5, building 50-foot 

spatter cones that were later obliterated, partly by collapse and partly by burial 

under new lava. The fountain at the southwest edge of the crater resumed 

activity on the morning of June 28 and continued for several days. During that 

period it alternated in activity with a sinkhole, at the same location, which 

received a stream of lava from the central fountains. -The southwestern fountain

15
16 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

reached a second climax on July 3 and 4, when some bursts attained a height of 

600 feet.

A chain of about 20 small fountains extended across the southwestern part of 

the crater floor during the first 2 weeks of the eruption. About July 11 the active 

length of this fissure became restricted to 400 feet, and 2 principal fountains 

began building a large cinder-and-spatter cone. Rivers of lava pouring out through 

gaps in the cone wall fed a lake of liquid lava around the cone. On August 5 this 

lake had an area of 34 acres.

By late August, overflow from the central cone had largely ceased. Two 

active vents were building small spatter cones in the crater of the larger cone. 

Between the conelets was a small lava lake that had an average diameter of about 

100 feet. These conditions persisted .essentially unchanged throughout the 

eruption. Flows appeared from time to time on the floor of Halemaumau crater 

outside the cone. Several of these issued at the foot of the crater wall, where the 

lava probably was squeezed up along the line of break between the old crater wall 

and the mass of new lava.

The eruption came to an end on November 10. The average depth of the new 

lava fill was 310 feet, and the volume of new lava was 64,000,000 cubic yards. 

The depth of the crater had decreased from about 770 feet, before the eruption, 

to 460 feet. The rise of the Crater floor was caused partly by overflow of new 

lava, and partly by bodily elevation as new lava was squeezed into the still-mobile 

lower part of the new fill. :

INTRODUCTION

This report continues the account of activity of Hawaiian volcanoes 

begun in earlier reports (Finch and Macdonald, 1951, 1953; Macdonald and Wentworth, 1954). The outstanding event of the year 

was the renewal of eruptive activity at Kilauea volcano after a 

quiescence of nearly 18 years, and this report deals largely with that 

event.

Personnel of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory remained unchanged during the year 1952, except that Burton J. Loucks, instrument maker, returned to take over the operation of the instrument 

shop after more than a year's absence on active duty in the United 

States Navy. John C. Forbes remained on the staff as assistant 

instrument maker.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many persons on the island of Hawaii have aided the operations of

the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the year by supplying 

information on earthquakes and volcanic activity. Chief ..among

these are the staff of Hawaii National Park, and the several volunteer 

earthquake reporters in different parts of the island. Members of 

the staff of Hawaii National Park who supplied information based

on their observations during the eruption of Kilauea include: F. E. 

Oberhansley, superintendent, I. J. Castro, E. K. Field, E. L. Bohlin, 

R. A. Apple, D. J. Tobin, B. M. Sumner, O. K. Roberts, A. J. 

Medeiros, G. A. Ruhle, V. R. Bender, R. E. Jeffery, and J. R. Fox.

\
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 17

E. K. Field, chief ranger, and E. L. Bohlin, ranger, furnished photographs of Halemaumau taken from the air during the eruption, and 

Bohlin furnished information and a photograph of the extent of the 

tsunami at Kalapana on March 17.

Those who have supplied valuable information on the effects of 

earthquakes in their districts are: Myrtle E. Hansen of Naalehu, 

Ernest Morton of Kahuku, Robert Baldwin of Hilo, A. P. Johnston 

of Kapapala, Eleanor Christensen, Olive Finkenbinder, and Beth 

Hartig of Kukuihaele, Dorothy Endicott and Mary Stetson of Pahala, 

Nancy R. Wallace of Kealakekua, Amy Greenwell, David Fraser, 

and K. Kishi of Captain Cook.

The Honolulu office of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and 

Doak C. Cox, of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association, made 

available photostat prints of the tide-gage records of the tsunami of 

November 4. R. E. White, observer in charge of the Honolulu 

Magnetic Observatory, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, loaned a 

Neumann-Labarre seismometer for experimental use during late 1951 

and early 1952, and aided in the installation of the instrument.

Lt. Col. B. W. Rushton, commanding officer of Kilauea Military 

Camp, and Louise Fox of Hawaii National Park were the first persons 

to report the outbreak of Kilauea volcano on June 27, 1952. Colonel 

Rushton has also been of assistance in other ways.

Constance Conard, teacher, and Kazuo Ikeda, principal, of Naalehu 

School, permitted the operation of a portable seismograph in the 

basement of one of the school cottages during the earthquake swarm 

of late March. During the same earthquake swarm, J. F. Ramsey 

and Wayne Richardson permitted the similar use of the beach house 

of the Hawaiian Agricultural Company at Punaluu.

W. E. B. Benson spent from July 5 to 16 at Kilauea, aiding in mapping the changes in Halemaumau and keeping a record of the eruption.

Prof. John J. Naughton, of the University of Hawaii, has kindly 

permitted the use, in advance of publication, of his measurements of 

the temperature of the lava fountains on July 2 and 3.

To all of these persons the staff of the Hawaiian Volcane Observatory extends its sincrere thanks.

SEISMOGRAPHS AND TILTMETERS

For the most part the instrumental installations described in earlier 

reports (Finch and Macdonald, 1951, 1953; Macdonald and Wentworth, 1954) remained unchanged throughout 1952. Several minor 

changes were made, however. For several years the Whitney, Uwekahuna, and Mauna Loa seismograph stations operated with independent 

time-control clocks. The lack of a synchronized time signal at the
18

three stations made it difficult to use absolute arrival tunes in locating 

the focal points of earthquakes. During 1952 the stations were 

connected with field-telephone wire, laid on the ground, and after 

some experimentation a satisfactory synchronized time signal at 

the three stations was put into operation during November. The 

signal is originated by the standard master clock in the Whitney 

Laboratory of Seismology. The clock is corrected generally twice 

daily to the radio time signal of the National Bureau of Standards, 

broadcast over station WWV.

The type of seismograph operating in the Hilo station, together 

with other seismographs in the process of construction, previously 

termed the modified Bosch-Omori seismograph (Finch and Macdonald, 1953, p. 30), has been renamed the Loucks-Omori seismo^ 

graph. These instruments, designed by B. J. Loucks and built by 

Loucks and J. C. Forbes in the shop of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, differ in design and construction from the standard BoschOmori seismograph, and are operated at a much shorter period.

A Neumann-Labarre seismometer, loaned by the Coast and Geodetic 

Survey, was installed in the Uwekahuna station in. September 1951, 

and operated on a part-time experimental basis until March 1952. 

Operated .at a magnification of about 3,600, it proved useful in the 

study of local earthquakes of very slight intensity.

In June 1952 a Sprengnether series A-R seismograph of WoodAnderson type was installed in the Uwekahuna station to record the 

horizontal component of earthquakes in the east-west azimuth. 

Operated at a period of 1.5 seconds, the amount of microseism recorded 

by the instrument proved excessive. Reduction of the period to 

1 second eliminated most of the microseism from the record. Like 

the Sprengnether vertical seismograph, the instrument has been useful 

in the study of local earthquakes of slight intensity. Unfortunately, 

the lack of electric power at night still limits the operation of both

these instruments to about 8 hours a day.

In January 1952 an Imamura three-component seismograph was 

installed in the main Observatory building at the west edge of Kilauea

caldera. This instrument has been in continuous operation since, as 

a strong-motion seismograph to record local earthquakes intense 

enough to cause dismantling of the more sensitive instruments.

Capillary ink pens were used on the recorder for a time, but have

been replaced by more satisfactory smoked-paper recording. Earthquake annunciators also were installed in the observatory building 

and in homes of staff members, and adjusted to sound an alarm on

the occurrence of earthquakes of moderate or strong intensity.

Table 1 lists the seismographs and tiltmeters in operation in the 

stations of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during 1952. The
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 19

TABLE 1. Seismographs and tiltmeters operated by the Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory during 1952

Station

Whitney Laboratory 

of Seismology 

(northeast rim of 

Kilauea caldera). 

Mauna Loa (altitude, 

6,600 feet on east 

slope of Mauna 

Loa). 

Uwekahuna (1,000 

feot west of west 

rim of Kilauea 

caldera). 

Do . 

Do.... ..... ... ....

Do....... .........

Do...... .........

Volcano Observatory

(west rim of Kilauea 

caldera). 

Hilo (St. Joseph's 

School). 

Kona (Konawaena 

School, Kealakekua). 

Southeast tilt cellar 

(floor of Kilauea 

caldera southeast of 

Halemaumau). 

West tilt cellar (floor

of Kilauea caldera 

west of Halemaumau).

Latitude 

(north)

19°25'53" 

19°29'32" 

19°25'26" 

19°25'26"

19°25'26"

19°25'26"

1QOOV9R"

19°25'21"

19°43'11" 

19°30'47" 

19°24'20"

19°24'32"

Longitude 

(west)

155°15'40" 

155°23'29" 

155°17'36" 

155°17'36"

155°17'36"

155°17'36"

155°17'36"

155°17'23"

155°05'20" 

155°55'07" 

156°16'59"

155°17'33"

Instrument

Bosch-Omori seismograph and tUtmeter.

Hawaiian-type seismograph.

Jaggar vertical seismograph.

seismograph.

west horizontal pendulum tiltmeters.

mograph.

graph.

Loucks-Omori seismograph. 

Hawaiian-type seismograph. 

Normal pendulum tiltmeter.

.....do...... ..........

Period of 

pendulum 

(seconds)

7.7 

7.1 

.4 

.5

20.0

.5

1.0

3.0

3.0 

7.3 

3.0

3.0

Magnification 

(approximate)

11C 

115 

250 

1,750

7

3,600

ftnn

15

175 

115 

100

100

Sensitivity to tilt 

(seconds 

of arc 

per mm)

0.12 

.14 

None

.32

.48 

.13 

1.3

1.3

principal constants of the instruments and the locations of the stations 

are given.

The stations hi which tilt instruments are operated are underground 

vaults insulated to reduce daily temperature fluctuations. The vault 

at the Whitney Laboratory is kept at a temperature of about 32°C 

by volcanic steam beneath the floor. The daily change of air temperature of about 0.5°, but during 1952-53 the average daily temperature 

ranged from 28° to 38°. During the same period the temperature in 

the Uwekahuna vault ranged from 16° to 21°C, with a daily change 

of about 0.5°; and that in the Mauna Loa vault ranged from 10° to 

21°C, with a daily change generally of about 1°. Seasonal variations 

of temperature of these magnitudes are undesirably large for the 

successful operation of metal horizontal pendulum tiltmeters, and 

experimentation with other types of tiltmeters is in progress.

Figure 1 shows the location of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 

and the Hilo and Kona seismograph stations on the island of Hawaii. 

The location of the Whitney, Uwekahuna, Observatory, and Mauna 

Loa seismograph stations are shown in figure 2.
20 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

akekua ) 

/ Kono 'seismograph s'taf

\ -\ I / / / aptolnCoo* MOKUAWEOW

Lava flow of 1950

A 

Seismograph station

Rood 

4(8) r

Larger number shows tsunami of November 1992) 

smaller number shows tsunami of April 1946

90____________IS Miles

Topography by U.S. Geological Survey

FIGURE 1. Map of the Island of Hawaii, showing the location of seismograph stations and localities mentioned hi th6 tfixt, and heights reacted by the water during the tsunamis of November 4,1952, and April 1,

1946. The tsunami heights are given in feet above mean low tide and are shown by figures near the shoreline. Arrows indicate the points on shore at which the measurements were obtained. The larger size 

figures show measurements for the tsunami of November 1952, and the smaller figures In parentheses are

those for the much larger tsunami of April 1946.

EARTHQUAKES

Seismographs at Kilauea caldera recorded 5,011 earthquakes during

1052, in addition to the continuous tremor of the ground throughout

nearly all the eruption of Kilauea volcano. Most of these earthquakes

occurred during the great swarm that originated off the southern COSSt

of the island in March and April, and the lesser swarm, in April, May,
Mauna Loa 

smograph station

Whitney Laboratory 

f Seismology^

Uwekahuna 

seismograph station 

Hawaiian Volcano

Crack-measuring station

 

Tilt-measuring station

ConTour interval 250 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Topography by U.S. Geological Survey

FIGUHE 2. Map of the Kilaues Crater area showing the location of seismograph, tilt-measuring, and crack-measuring stations on the east rift of Kilauea. fcO
8S8SS 3 3 S

5.3

II 
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 23

and June, that preceded the eruption of Kilauea volcano. These two 

earthquake swarms, are discussed in a later section of the report.

The number of earthquakes recorded per week on the BoschrOmori 

seismograph at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology, on the northeastern run of Kilauea caldera, ranged from 0 to 1,850. The weekly 

seismicity at the same station ranged from 0 to 859.25. The scale of 

seismicity in use at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is an arbitrary 

one, based on the amplitude of the record produced by the earthquake 

on the seismographs. Each local earthquake is assigned a seismicity 

value depending on its strength, as follows: Tremor, 0.25; very feeble, 

0.5; feeble, 1.0; slight, 2.0; moderate, 3.0; strong, 4.0. These values 

are totaled to give the weekly local seismicity. Continuous volcanic 

tremor is ignored in the calculation. The strength assigned to the 

earthquake depends on the double amplitude of the maximum oscillation it causes on the Bosch-Omori seismograph, as follows: Tremor, 

less than 0.5 mm; very feeble, 0.5 to 4 mm; feeble, 4 to 11 mm; slight, 

11 to 25 mm; moderate, 25 to 60 mm; strong, greater than 60 mm.

In figure 3 the variations in weekly seismicity and number of earthquakes are shown as curves plotted on a semilogarithmic base. The 

high peak of. the curves during March corresponds with the great 

swaxm of earthquakes.from foci just south of the island. The lesser 

peak in mid-June directly preceded the eruption of Kilauea volcano.

Seismographs at Kilauea caldera recorded 109 earthquakes during 

January and February. Most of these originated at very shallow 

foci under or near the caldera, or from nearby parts of the east rift 

zone. During the same interval the Mauna Loa seismograph recorded 

only 58 earthquakes, many of which were of Kilauean origin. Seismic 

activity thus centered at Kilauea throughout the early part of the 

year, while Mauna Loa was relatively quiescent. In October, however, the Mauna Loa seismograph recorded a total of 187 earthquakes, 

as compared with 77 recorded at Kilauea. Most of these Mauna Loa 

quakes were recorded in a swarm of 165 very small quakes that 

originated on the northeast rift zone on October 24 and 25. The 

uneasiness of Mauna Loa during October did not continue into 

November.

DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL EARTHQUAKES

An earthquake felt in the northern part of the island at 06h26m 

(Hawaiian standard time) on January 23 originated beneath the 

Waimea plain about 5 miles east-southeast of Kamuela.

A strong earthquake at Olh58m on January 26 originated on the 

Hilina fault system north of Apua Point. Slight aftershocks at 02h52m 

on the same morning and 00h57m on January 27 originated at the same 

locality.
24 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

A quake at Olh 16m on February 2 was felt generally in Hilo, and 

by some persons in nearly all parts of the island. It originated beneath the northeastern slope of Mauna Loa about 5 miles southwest 

of Hilo. A quake felt at Kapapala at 22h40m on February 23 had its 

epicenter on the southwest rift of Mauna Loa at an altitude of 8,500 

feet.

At 12h 12m on May 23 a strong earthquake originated on the Kealakekua fault near Napoopoo, on the west coast of Hawaii. Its focus 

was near that of the major earthquake of August 21, 1951 (Macdonald 

and Wentworth, 1954, p. 185, 209). It was felt over all the island of 

Hawaii, and by some persons on the island of Maui. In the central 

Kona area dishes were broken, groceries and bottles were jarred off 

shelves, pavements cracked, slides occurred in roadcuts, some water 

tanks were damaged, windows were broken, and tombstones overturned. The intensity near the epicenter was 6 in the modified 

Mercalli scale (Wood and Neumann, 1931). The breaking of dishes 

extended as far from the epicenter as Naalehu, where the intensity 

was 5.

Other earthquakes with foci in central Kona, many of them probably 

on the Kealakekua fault, continued throughout the year. Most were 

of very slight intensity, but some were strong enough to be felt near 

the epicenter. Several quakes, including one felt in Kona at 22h 14m 

on November 27, originated along a line extending westward from 

the summit of Mauna Loa toward Kealakekua Bay. These may 

have been caused by movement along the same fracture zone on which 

occurred the eruption of 1877.

A quake felt widely over the southern part of the island at 04h45m 

on September 2 had its focus near Kilauea caldera. It may have been 

related to the conspicuous revival of eruptive activity at Kilauea in 

early September. A small quake felt at Naalehu at 18h01m on December 10 originated beneath the summit region of Mauna Loa. It 

was not, however, associated with any other signs of uneasiness of

Jvfauna Loa.

Several Of the earthquakes recorded during the year apparently

originated, on tne IxaoiM fault system, between Mauna Loa and

Kilauea. One quake recorded at 09h09m on December 12, was felt in

Naalehu and in the Volcano area. A moderate earthquake at 01^2 lm

on December 28 probably originated beneath the summit of Hualalai

volcano.

Table 2 lists the local earthquakes stronger than tremors, recorded

at seismograph stations of th.e Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during

1952. The table shows the arrival time of the preliminary phase at 

the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology. The time is stated to the 

nearest minute in Hawaiian standard time, which is 10 hours slower
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 25

than Greenwich, civil time. If the earthquake was more intense at 

one of the other stations than at the Whitney Laboratory, the intensity rating at the other station is given in the column headed "Remarks."

Table 3 lists the earthquakes of distant origin recorded on the 

Bosch-Omori seismograph at the Whitney Laboratory during 1952. 

The time given is that of the arrival of the first recognizable oscillation. The epicenters given in the table are taken from the notices 

of Preliminary Determinations of Epicenters published by the U. S. 

Coast and Geodetic Survey.

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory during 1952

Serial 

no.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30 

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

Date

8

10

11

12

12

15

17

23

23

23

23

23

23

24

24

24

24

25

25

25

25

25

26

26

27

27

27

Feb. 1

2 

2

2

2

2

6

6

6

6

7

7

7

7

8

Time (Hawaiian standard)

ft m 

06 47

05 40

00 22

02 33

04 23

20 54

05 13

07 36

00 54

04 10

06 27

07 RA

11 13

11 54

07 03

07 14

13 26

18 24

03 04

03 06

16 53

19 44

20 55

01 58

02 52

00 07

18 52

18 59

20 30

01 16 

03 46

05 58

06 19

13 05

06 20

18 42

20 52

22 10

04 27

21 22

21 23

21 55

02 02

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

.....do... ... 

.....do... ... ...

....-do... ... ...

.....do.........

.....do.........

.....do . 

.....do.........

.....do .....

Feeble.. ......

.....do.........

.....do ......

.....do.........

.....do.... .....

.....do ......

.....do... ......

Slight...... ...

.....do.........

__ do.... .....

Moderate... ...

.....do... ......

Feeble.. ...

Slight-. ...-

Feeble........

Tremor... ....

Epicenter

east-southeast of Kamuela.

.....do... ....................

.....do.......................

Central Kona.... _____ ..

miles east of Puu Kapukapu. 

... ..do...... ........... _ ...

.....do... ............. .......

.....do.......................

Nearly under Kaumana, 

about 30 miles deep.

Makaopuhi Crater.

Makaopuhi Crater.

East rift of Kilauea. .........

1 mile east of Napau 

Crater.

Remarks

Very feeble, Kona.

Shallow.

Felt at Kukuihaele.

Feeble, Kona.

Very feeble, Kona.

Feeble, Kona.

Slight, Kona.

Feeble, Kona. Felt at Captain Cook. 

Felt over most of the island, 

strongly at Hilo.

Felt in Kukuihaele.

Shallow.

Do.

Very feeble, Kona.

331153 5E
26 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

44

45 

46 

47 

48 

49

50 

51

52 

53 

54 

55

56

57 

58 

69 

60 

61 

62 

63 

64

65 

66 67' 

68

69 

70 

71

72

73

74 

75 

76 

77 

78

79 

so

81 

82

83 84- 

1,427

88 

05 

148

167 

183

109

212

220

Date

Feb. 13

14 

14 

15 

15 

19

19 

21

22 

22 

23 

23

24

24 

24 

24 

25 

26 

Mar. 1 

2 

6

9 

9 

9 

9

9 

10 

11 

12 

12

12 

12 

12 

12 

13

14

14

M

14 

IS

16-31

16 

16 

17

18 

18

18

18

18

Time 

(Hawaiian 

standard)

A m 

20 36

15 46 

15 50 

14 47 

23 04 

11 20

19 26 

06 15

17 10 

21 34 

01 47 

22 41

10 20

11 22 

11 47 

11 54 

08 28 

12 36 

11 59 

14 36 

20 44

05 59 

07 51 

10 51 

13 57

14 01 

13 45 

10 10 

03 37 

16 28

16 54 

17 07 

17 11 

22 17 

11 38

17 45

18 21

19 06

10 00 

22 16

15 53 

22 45 

17 58

04 50

08 03

1O 53

13 01

14 18

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

Very feeble ....

 do 

.....do 

.....do ......

Very feeble _ 

.-..do... ......

Slight 

Very feeble... . 

.... .do ... ...

..... do 

 do 

 do. .....

..... do... ......

..... do... .... ..

... ..do ....

... ..do.... .....

.....do ......

 do ....

.....do ... ...

Feeble... 

Very feeble ....

.... . do ..... .

 do. 

Slight. 

... ..do ....

, _ .do .....

..... do. .

Feeble..-. 

.....do ....

.....do ......

Very feeble. ...

Strong.----...

Very feeble....

__ do. __ .... 

Mostly very 

feeble to

slight. 

Feeble.... .

Very feeble ....

Strong.........

Very feeble....

Moderate. _ _ 

.....do.........

Epicenter

Central Kona, probably on 

Kealakckua fault.

 ..do. ..... ...

Central Kona........ .......

Southeast slope of Mauna 

Loa near Kapapala.

East rift of Kilauea about 

2 miles east of Napau 

Crater.

Southwest rift of Mauna 

Loa at an altitude of about 

8,500 feet. 

North slope of Mauna Loa 

about 11 miles north of 

Mokuaweoweo.

 do ............. ......

Hilina fault system about 

2 miles northwest of Ka 

Lae a Puki.

HUina fault system about 

2.5 miles northwest of 

Kaena Point.

Off south shore, at lat, 19°02' 

N., long, 155°06' W.

Off south shore, at 19°03' N., 

155°05' W.

Kilauea caldera. _ --.-..--.-

Earthquakes mostly originating off the south shore 

of the island.

Hilina fault system 2 miles 

west of Kupaahu, at 19°2O' 

N., 155°02' W. Off south shore at 19°07' N., 

155°02' W.

Kilauea........ .........

Off south shore, at 19°OO' N., 

155°20' W.

Off south shore at 19WN.,

155°20' W. 

Off south shore at 19°05' N., 

155°25' W.

Remarks

Moderate, Kona.

Slight, Kona. 

Do. 

Very feeble, Kona. 

Do 

Felt at Kapapala.

Shallow. Felt from Volcano 

district to Pepeekeo.

Felt at Kapapala. 

Feeble, Mauna Loa.

Felt at Hilo and in Volcano 

district.

Slight, Kona.

Felt from Volcano district to 

Naalehu.

Felt from Hilo to Kapapala.

Moderate and strong earthquakes of this group, and 

earthquakes of other origin,

are listed separately below.

Shallow. Felt in Volcano 

district.

Felt at Naalehu, caused

small tsunami at Kalapcvnn. 

Felt at KTaaleliu.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 27

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

275

9ft?

14/1

385

414

466

4(U

524

567

fi4Q

668

762

sna

842

add

927

954 

965

979

1016 

1083

1128

1166

1200

1317

1422

1428-

1886

1WQ

1531

1532

1547

1548

1654

1555

1669 

1671

1587 

1596

1597

1612 

1623

1631

Date

Mar. 19

1Q

19

20

20

20 

20

21

21

22

22

22

n

23

24

24

25 

25

25

26 

27

27

28

29

30

31

Apr. 1-

May 31

3

3

4

4

4

4

5

5

6 

6

6

6 

6

6

Time (Hawaiian standard)

A 771

.02 55

08 05

15 51

01 22

09 51

20 16 

23 48

04 35

14 25 

02 05

06 19

19 20

06 52

15 05

02 02

13 29

00 30

f!7 fU

09 17

04 40 

04 31

22 44

11 67

02 42

13 53

22 00

fin no

06 23

06 27

11 09

11 19

16 08

20 08

11 23 

14 16

21 04 

03 44

04 06

15 10 

20 63

22 58

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

.....do........

.....do-... 

Moderate. .... 

 do... 

Moderate.....

..... do... 

.....do.........

 do.........

.....do ......

Moderate. ....

.....do.... 

Moderate.. ... 

do

.....do.........

 do........

 do. .

 do.. 

feeble to 

slight.

.....do.........

Slight 

 do. . 

.....do 

Moderate..... 

.....do.........

..... do 

Slight 

Moderate.. _ 

Slight. 

Strong..... ...

Epicenter

Off south shore, at 19°06' N.,

155°02' W.

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°20' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°18' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N.,

155°15' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N., 

155°24' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°24' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N.,

155°14' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°04' N., 

155°14' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°12' W.

155°00' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°06' N.,

155°04' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°12' N.,

154° 55' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N.,

155°14' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°08' N.,

155°02' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°06' N.,

155°02' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°01' N., 

155°17' W.

155°06' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°05' N.,

155°05' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N., 

155°14' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N.,

155°13' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°14' W. 

Ofl south shore at 19°03' N.,

155°11' W.

 do . 

Ofl south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°13' W.

nating off the south shore 

of the island.

... ..do ..... ....... ... ... .

Kilauea, east rift near Napau

Crater, 

.-..do ................

Hilina fault zone, about 1.8

miles N. 10° W. of Ka Lae 

a Puki. 

Kilauea, east rift near Makakaopuhi. 

Ofl south shore of Hawaii. ...

Kilauea, east rift near Napau 

Crater, 

.-..do ... .................

miles west of Kalalua 

Crater.. 

Ofl south shore of Hawaii. ...

.....do.... ...................

Remarks

Felt at Naalehu.

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Felt at Naalehu and Kapapala.

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

quakes of this group, and 

earthquakes of other origin, 

are listed separately below.

Do.

About 13 miles deep.

Volcano district.
28 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

IflOQ

1640

1645

1653

1656

1668 

1669

1670

1671

1701 

1703

1705

1711

1715

1716

1719 

1721 «

1726

1729 

1734

1736 

1737

1746 

1750

1752 

1780

1813

1830

1839

1842

1851 

1856

Date

Apr. 7

7

7

7

7

7 

7

7

7

10 

10

11

12

12

12

12 

12

13

13

14 

14

15

15

15 

16

16 

21

May 3

6

10

13

15

19 

21

Time (Hawaiian 

standard)

A m 

01 31

01 54

03 59

06 05

06 44

12 15 

12 53

13 00

23 55

16 56 

22 52

07 34

01 29

05 53

06 22

16 55 

19 40

12 29

21 04

AQ 07

12 25 

16 56

07 51

17 59 

00 68

07 08

18 16

19 14

22 50

04 10

04 08 

17 13

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

.....do... ...

Slight.........

Slight-... ..

Very feeble... .

..... do .....

.....do ..... 

Slight.........

.....do ......

Very feeble .... 

Slight.. 

Feeble. .......

Very feeble .

Very feeble .... 

.....do.........

Slight.. .... ...

.....do... ...... 

Feeble........

Moderate... .. 

.....do ....

.....do........

Slight... 

Feeble........

.... .do.. .... 

Moderate .....

Epicenter

mile east of Makaopuhi 

Crater.

Huluhulu.

Kilauea, east rift near Alae 

Crater. 

Kilauea, east rift near Makaopuhi Crater.

Crater. 

Hilina fault zone at Poliokeawe Pali, 3.5 miles N. 

45° W. of Kaena Point.

the southwest rift of 

Mauna Loa near the 9,200- 

foot contour.

kaopuhi Crater. 

Kilauea, east rift about 2

miles east of Napau Crater. 

Kilauea, east rift 1 mile

northwest of Heake Crater. 

Off south shore of Hawaii...

Kilauea, east rift near Puhimau Crater. 

Kilauea, east rift near Puu

Huluhulu.

mau Crater. 

Kilauea, east rift about 2 

miles east of Kalalua Crater. 

. .do-... 

Kilauea, east rift near Kalalua Crater.

west of Puu Ohale. 

Kilauea, 3 miles west-southwest of Puu Ohale.

opuhi Crater.

Off south shore of Hawaii...

16 miles S. 10° W. of Apua 

Point. 

Off south shore at 19°12' N., 

155°21' W. 

Off south shore at 19°09' N.,

155°19' W.

Hilina fault system at 19°18'

N., 155°10' W.

155°07' W. 

Southeast slope of Mauna

Loa, at 19°20' N., l« 

w. Southeast slope of Mauna 

Loa, at 19°18' N., 155°28' 

W.

Remarks

Shallow.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Felt from Naalehu to Volcano. About 12 miles deep.

About 7 miles deep.

Felt at Naalehu.

strongly from Naalehu to 

Volcano, moderately at 

Hilo, and slightly as far as 

Paauhau and Kukuihaele..

Shallow.

Felt at Naalehu and Kapapala. About 13 miles deepFelt in Volcano district.

Shallow. 

Do.

Shallow.

About 6 miles deep..

About 5 miles deepFelt at Kapapala.

About 7 miles deep-
29

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

1863

1 Ofifi

1QQO

1883 

1884

1QQQ

1895

1010

1920-

1923

1Q94

1Q95

1QQ1

1QQQ

1953

IQfwl

1955

1QK7

1QKQ

1959 

1960-

2024

2025 

2026

2027-

2047 

*)(\AR

9fWQ

2051

2052

2054

2055-

2063

9(1R4

2065

2067-

2069 

2070

Date

May 23

9d

29

31 

31

3

10

11

11

11

13

14

17 

18

18

19

17

19 

19-26

26 

26

26-27

27

27

97

27

28

OQ

28

28-30

July 1

3

5

6

Time (Hawaiian standard)

h m 

12 13

03 32

13 20

05 00 

06 52

01 05

21 12

16 25

08 01

08 12

06 57

10 44

16 37

05 17

05 20

16 03

16 20

16 27

07 53 

17 23

23 39

23 49

23 51

23 58

00 20

00 31

00 47

04 16

09 05

12 26

15 38

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

Feeble

.....do.. ..-

Very feeble 

Feeble........

Slight 

.....do.. -

Slight.. ..... .-

Slight 

..... do. 

Very feeble. ... 

Slight 

Feeble

Slight--

Moderate..,-.

..... do... - - 

.... .do~ 

... ..do .....

 do 

... ..do ......

Slight 

and feeble.

.. do........

Epicenter

miles west of Napoopoo, 

central Kona, at 19°29' N., 

155°59' W., about 6 miles 

deep.

.....do-. ........ ...... ......

Off south shore at 19°02' N., 

155°21' W. 

Southeast slope of Mauna

Loa, at 19°20' N.. 155°26' 

W. 

About 4 miles north-northeast of Whitney Laboratory of Seismology. 

About 4 miles north-northeast of Whitney Laboratory, on hypothetical extension of Kaoiki fault.

Kilauea caldera. _ __ .....

Off south shore at 19°01' N.,

155°16' W.

Whitney Laboratory. 

Kilauea Caldera ____ .....

East slope of Mauna Loa.... 

Off south shore at 19°02' N.,

155°20'W.

Southwest rift of Kilauea

about 0.5 mile northeast of 

Mauna Iki. 

Southwest rift of Kilauea

near Ponohohoa. 

Kilauea, southwest rift near 

Kamakaia Hills. 

Nearly all apparently originating in the vicinity of 

Kilauea caldera at very 

shallow depths. 

Near summit of Mauna Loa.

Kaoiki fault. 

Earthquakes apparently

originating in the vicinity 

of Kilauea caldera at very 

shallow depths.

.....do... ....................

 do...... 

 do . 

Kilauea caldera- __ . _ ...

Remarks

Magnitude 6 assigned at

Pasadena, Calif. Felt over 

all the Island of Hawaii, 

and on the Island of Maul. 

Minor damage in central 

Kona.

Do.

Felt in Volcano district.

Shallow. Felt at Kapapala.

Shallow.

Felt in Volcano district.

Shallow. Felt in Volcano

district.

Shallow.

Shallow. Felt strongly at

Kapapala. 

Continuous volcanic tremor

started at 23 h37m30» on 

June 27, at about tho time 

glow was flrst observed at 

Halemaumau, and appears 

to mark beginning of eruption.

Earthquakes accompanying

the eruption of Kilauea 

volcano.

Slight, Mauna Loa.

.....Do.

Very feeble, Kona.

Feeble, Hilo. Felt at Kukuihaele.
30 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

2071

2072

2073

2074

2075-

2076 

2077

2078

2079

2080

2081

2082

2083

2084

2085

2086

2087

2088

2089

2090

2091

2092

2093

2094

2095

2096

2097

2098

2099'

2100

2101

2102

2104

2105

2106

2107

2108

2109

9,110

2112 

2113

2114

ffllfi

2117

2118

2119

2121

9199

2124 

2125

2126

2127

2128

01 on

2131

2132

Date

July 6

7

7

9

9

12

14

16

17

17

21

22

27

29

29

2

2

3

3

4

5

9

10

11

12

13

14

16

18

25

31

3

6

8

9

10

14

14

17

19

19

22

24

27

27

30

30

Oct. 2

4

4

5

Time (Hawaiian standard)

h m 

22 56

04 43

06 16

06 54

08 10

13 53

16 45

12 32

17 44

18 14

11 49

02 46

14 51

01 30

10 51

12 33

15 17

16 10

14 49

18 08

04 00

18 21

10 31

18 06

12 21

20 16

00 52

14 08

21 07

13 59

21 20

12 34

05 39

04 45

12 47

20 51

02 27

20 21

07 50

08 11

18 21

12 41

15 57

20 58

02 23

12 27

n d.f\

07 22

20 36

04 10

20 57

10 04

02 56

18 32

14 29

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

Feeble ........

Slight 

Slight... 

Tremor ___ -

Feeble... .... -

Tremor.... ...

.....do.........

..... do.. 

 . do... ..... .

 .do 

 do.........

Slight 

No record. .

Slight 

 do 

 ..do 

Tremor... ....

Feeble... 

Tremor. ..... .

 do 

... ..do.... .....

Slight .

Moderate.. ..-

Slight 

Tremor.......

No record .....

. .do.... .

 do........'

 -do 

 -do... 

Tremor.. 

___ do ____ .

.... . do... 

 do 

 .do.........

Mri rApflrfl

Tremor.-.-- _

Very feeble--

Very feeble 

.....do..- 

Vorv f AoVu0

.... .do .....

Epicenter

 do . ..

Kaoiki fault (?) ..... 

Central Kona.. .............

Central Kona, probably

Kcalakekua fault.

Remarks

Felt at Kukuihaele.

Felt in Volcano district.

Hilo, Volcano, and Naalehu.

Kona to Hilo. 

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Hilo.

Do.

Very feeble, Kona.

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Very feeble, Kona.

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Do.

Hilo, and Koiia.

and Naalehu.

Naalehu, Kona.

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Feeble, Kona.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Felt at Kukuihaele.

Very feeble, Kona.

Feeble, Kona. Pelt in Kona.

Very feeble, Kona.

Do.

Very feeble, Kona. Felt in

Kona. 

Do.

Feeble, Kona. Pelt in Kona.

Slight, Kona. Felt in Kona.

Very feeble, Kona. Felt in

TCona.

Slight, Mavma Loa. Felt at Naalehu and Kapapala.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 31

TABLE 2. Local earthgiiakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

2133

2134

2135

2136

2137

2138

2139

2140

2141

2142

2143

2144

2145

2146

2147

2148

2149

2150

2151

2152

2153

2154

2155

2156

2157

2158

2159

2160

2161

2162

2163

2164

2165

2166

2167-

2175 

2176-

2184 

2185-

2186 

2187

2188

2189

2190

2191

2192

2193

2194

2195

2196

2197

2198

2199

2200

2201

2202

2203

2204

2205

2206

2207

2208

2209

2210

2211

Date

Oct. 5

7

7

8

8

8

8

9

9

10

11

11

12

13

13

14

14

14

15

16

16

18

18

 18

20

21

22

22

22

23

24

25

25

25

25

26

27

29

30

Nov. 1

1

2

5

7

8

9

10

12

12

12

13

13

13

16

16

16

18

19

20

22

23

27

Time 

(Hawaiian 

standard)

ft m 

16 14

11 40

11 54

00 04

05 20

14 40

18 59

15 35

17 46

14 14

n<; id

19 42

13 42

21 53

23 36

07 30

11 52

21 58

06 55

14 31

15 37

02 47

17 02

21 17

11 25

07 23

01 45

10 10

16 39

14 11

15 00

09 25

14 30

14 44

13 39

05 15

01 23

14 11

02 57

12 49

22 21

18 33

16 56

21 42

08 05

10 43

17 43

12 28

12 54

14 57

02 40

02 41

09 49

00 39

03 27

10 19

01 08

18 31

16 35

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

__ do. _ . ...

.....do ......

.....do.........

.....do.........

.....do.........

.....do... ......

.....do.... .....

.....do.... .....

.....do.........

.....do.........

.....do... ......

.....do... ......

.....do.........

.....do... ......

.....do.........

.....do.........

Feeble........

 do 

.....do.........

... ..do... ......

.....do... ......

.....do.........

. .do... ......

.....do.........

.....do... ......

.....do... ......

.....do.........

 do. 

.....do.........

.....do... ......

.....do... ......

Slight 

Slight .

 ..do.... ... ..

Slight 

__ do .........

Epicenter

Kaoiki fault near Wood

Valley (?).

Kaoiki fault near Bird Park

(?).

Central Kona.. .............

Southwest rift of Kilauea(?).

Central Kona... ............

Off south shore of Hawaii 

Off south shore of Hawaii. ...

Kilauea.

East rift of Kilauea near Alae

Crater.

Central Kona.. .............

Eemarks

Feeble, Mauna Loa.

Feeble, Hilo.

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Do.

Very feeble, Kona.

Felt at Kapapala.

Feeble, Kona.

Slight, Kona. Felt in Kona.

Very feeble, Mauna Loa.

Do.

Very feeble. Mauna Loa; at

other stations tremors or na 

record. 

Do.

Do.

Moderate, Kona. F«lt in

Kona.

Feeble, Kona.

Very feeble, Kona.

About 13 miles deep.

Feeble. Kona. Felt In Kona.
32 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 2. Local earthquakes stronger than tremors recorded at Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory during 1952 Continued

Serial 

no.

2212

2213

2214

2215

2216

2217

2218 

2219

2220

2221

2222

2223

2224

2225

2226 

2227

2228

2229

2230

2231

2232

2233

2234

2235

2236

Date

Nov. 27

Dec. 1

1

3

3

3

5 

6

7

7

8

10

11

12

15 

15

15

17

21

22

23

25

28

29

31

Time 

(Hawaiian 

standard)

h m 

22 14

00 30

01 22

01 12

09 10

20 03

17 59 

09 45

02 26

11 12

17 30

18 01

01 06

09 09

18 47 

18 57

21 11

03 00

12 12

01 18

03 46

00 10

01 22

20 55

16 00

Intensity at 

Whitney 

Laboratory

Slight 

Very feeble. ...

 do... 

Tremor... ....

 do . . 

Very feeble ... . 

 do 

 do 

 ..do.. ..

.....do.........

 ..do... ..

 ..do...... 

Feeble. 

Very feeble ... . 

....-do..........

.....do.........

No record __

 do 

 do 

Tremor.. __

Very feeble....

 do 

No record _ ..

Epicenter

4 miles west of North Bay, 

end of Mokuaweoweo, 19° 

29' N., 155°38' W.

Off south shore(?).

Off south shore at 19°06' N., 

155°19' W.

about 19°28' N., 155°43'W.

East rift of Kilauea near Puu 

Huluhulu.

deep(?).

Remarks

Felt in Kona.

Feeble, Kona. Felt in Kona.

Very feeble, Kona. Felt in

central Kona.

Felt at Naalehu.

district. 

Shallow.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Kona.

Do.

TABLE 3. Distant earthquakes recorded by seismographs of the Hawaiian Volcano

Observatory during 1952

[Based on Bosch-Omori seismograph in Whitney Laboratory of Seismology]

Date

Jan. 12

Mar, 3

B 

9

June 10 

22 

July 21

28

Aug. 20 

Sept. 9 

Nov. 4

29

Time (Hawaiian 

standard)

h m 

10 28 

15 33

08 08 

06 58 

00 15 

11 58 

01 59

22 1O

05 39 

03 29 

07 07 

14 03

Strength at Whitney Laboratory

Slight...........

Strong..... . ..

. _ .do. ..........

 ..do.. ...

 do . .

Moderate.... 

Slight.. ......... 

Very strone_----

Slight- ....... ..

Epicenter (From Preliminary determinations of Epicenters by 

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey)

Fox Islands, in Aleutian archipelago.

Neat the east COast Of Hokkftido Island, Japan.

OH ease coast of Hokkaido.

Near south coast of Kamchatka. 

Fiji Islands region. 

Kurile Islands. 

Tehachapi, Calif. Southern California(?). 

Off coast of Oregon.

K ?o"l°f-£2Sla/?^e,,*«i» re^in-uia. Accompanied by a 

tsunami that did moderate damage in the Hawaiian Islands.

Off southern coast of Alaska Peninsula, at 56° N., 155° W.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1'952 33

THE TSUNAMI OF NOVEMBER 4

On November 4, 1952, a strong earthquake occurred off the southeastern coast of Kamchatka. The notice of Preliminary Determination of Epicenter issued by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 

gives the point of origin as latitude 52%° N., longitude 159° E., and 

the time of origin as 16h58m208 Greenwich civil time (6b58m208 Hawaiian 

standard time).

The earthquake was recording on the Bosch-Omori seismograph 

when the record was changed at 07h45m . The amplitude was among 

the largest recorded at the Volcano Observatory. Quick inspection 

of the record indicated that the quake probably originated beneath 

the Pacific Ocean, or very near to its border, and consequently might 

be accompanied by a tsunami. The intensity of the earthquake 

suggested that the tsunami might be severe.

At about 08h the writer notified the Hawaii Police Department in 

Hilo that an earthquake had occurred and suggested that they be 

alert for a possible "tidal-wave" warning that would be issued by the 

Seismic Sea Wave Warning System of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. The statement was also made that it would be at least 3 hours 

before the "tidal wave/' if there were one, would reach Hilo.

By 09h , further study of the local records and comparison of arrival 

tunes at mainland stations, received by wire from the Hilo TribuneHerald, made it apparent that the quake had originated hi the Kamchakta area and that, if a tsunami had been generated, it should reach 

Hilo about 13h30m . Shortly afterward the actual wave warning was 

issued by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, based on reports of actual 

observed water waves.

The tsunami reached Hilo at approximately 13h30m, as predicted. 

The record of the tide gage, at Kuhio wharf shows that a rise of about 

4 feet began at 13h32m, bringing the water level to approximately 7 

feet above mean lower low tide at 13h49m . This was followed by a 

trough, bringing the water level to 1 foot below mean lower low tide 

at 14h05m . These extreme oscillations were followed by a series of 

diminishing oscillations, having an average period of about 17 minutes, that continued for the next several days. The dominant period 

of 17 minutes in these oscillations probably is approximately that of 

the harbor seiche.

Heights reached by the water on the island of Hawaii were much 

less than in the Aleutian tsunami of 1946 (fig. 1). At Hilo the greatest 

heights measured were at Kuhio wharf, in Reeds Bay, and on Cocoanut 

Island (fig. 4). Water swept over the wharf to a depth of 11.5 feet 

above mean lower low tide. Near the head of Reeds Bay the highwater mark ranged from 9 to 11 feet above the same datum, arid on 

Cocoanut Island the greatest height was approximately 12 feet. Near
CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

* 

> !3 

5 O

XI «

EH S

« .2 

g <u

2 43
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 35

the mouths of Wailuku and Wailoa Rivers the water reached a height 

of about 9 feet.

Northward and eastward from Hilo the height of the water decreased 

rapidly, and east of Keaukaha estuary the rise was so slight that it is 

not certain any occurred. The same condition prevailed along the 

southeastern, southern, and northeastern coast of the island. Along 

the western coast the rise at most places ranged from 2 to 4 feet. 

On Hawaii, damage was restricted to the Hilo area.

Damage at Hilo included beaching of several sampans and rolling 

over of another on the ways in a boat-building yard; damage to buildings on Cocoanut Island and near the head of Reeds Bay; destruction 

of one span of the bridge to Cocoanut Island; flood damage at the 

Naniloa Hotel, at the wharf, and along the shore between the wharf 

and Reeds Bay; and destruction of a boat landing at the wharf.

Nearly all the damage observed in Hilo probably was the result of 

gentle flooding. No signs were observed of violent impact, such as 

occurred in 1946 (Macdonald, Shepard, and Cox, 1947). No sharp 

crest, or "bore" front, was reported in Hilo Bay, although an 18-inch 

bore was reported in the Wailoa estuary.

The boat landing, a house on a bar in Reeds Bay, and the span of 

the Cocoanut Island bridge apparently were floated from their foundations. During crests of the tsunami water poured into the bay 

through the channel and by flooding over,the breakwater. In contrast, .during troughs the water could drain out only through the channel, except for the relatively small amount that leaked through the 

stonework of the breakwater. As a result, water accumulated in the 

bay behind the breakwater and flooded that part of the shore.

Differences in pattern of the effects around, the island of Hawaii 

between the tsunamis of 1946 and 1952 illustrate well the individuality 

of such waves, resulting from disturbances of different sizes, centering 

at different distances and directions. Such individuality makes 

extremely difficult prediction of the nature and size of the effects at 

any given locality, even when measurements are available from other 

areas nearer the point <*f origin of the waves. The generally excellent 

operation of the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System in November 

1952 demonstrates that general prediction of the occurrence of a 

tsunami of distant origin is now well in hand, but many more observations, over a period of many years, will be necessary before accurate 

local predictions can be made.

THE SOUTH HAWAII EARTHQUAKES OF MARCH AND APRIL

At Ilb38m Hawaiian standard time on March 13 a strong earthquake (no. 78, fig. 5 and table 2) originated beneath the ocean south 

of the island of Hawaii, 23 miles S. 19° W., of the coastal village of
36 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

Kalapana. ; The earthquake was felt over all the southern part of the 

island, and its intensity along the southern shore was estimated at 4 

in the modified Mercalli scale. At 18h20m on March 14 a similar 

earthquake (no. 80, fig. 5) originated in the same general area. 

These quakes were the forerunners of a great swarm of earthquakes 

that began on March 16 and continued throughout April.

Contour Interval 1500 ft«t 

Submarine contours dotted ' 

Datum is mem sea lent

* <? °. * V ' \

/ . Jo o*. o /<>. ." ./ 22O' . ' - -385 n 

- / ,- -'*

Topogrophy by U.S. Geological Survey

FIGURE 5. Map of part of the southeastern coast of Hawaii, showing the location of epicenters of earthquakes during March, April, and May, 1952, and the positions of known and hypothetical faults above 

sea level. The broad bulge in the submarine contours south of Kilauea caldera probably marks a submarine shield volcano with, a ridge extending eastward along a rift zone. Stronger earthquakes numbered 

as in table 2.

On March 16 the seismographs at Kilauea caldera recorded 39 

earthquakes, all probably originating in the offshore area south of the

island. On the following days the number of quakes rapidly increased,

reaching a peak of 305 on Marok 20. Figure 6 indicates the daily

seismicity at the Volcano Observatory from March 16 to April 30. 

The daily seismicity was determined by assigning a seismicity value 

to each earthquake, depending on its size, and totaling the values 

for each day (Macdonald and Wentworth, 1954, p. 148). Each strong 

earthquake was assigned a seismicity value of 4.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 37

20-

16 20 25

March

FIGURE 6. Graph showing daily seismicity at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology from March 16 to

April 30,1952.

Decrease in the number of quakes from foci south of the island was 

less rapid than the increase had been, and at a fairly regular declining 

rate. In figure 6, the marked hump in the curve on April 5-7 is 

caused by a series of earthquakes originating on the east rift zone 

and beneath the caldera of Kilauea volcano. This swarm of Kilauea 

earthquakes was essentially over by April 8, although quakes of 

Kilauea origin were recorded through the rest of April.

At the end of April, the total number of earthquakes recorded 

since March 13 was 4,553. Most of these were small and many were 

tremors too small to permit the recognition of phases in the seismogram. On the basis of the records from the Bosch-Omori seismograph 

in the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology, 31 were classed as moderate 

and 18 as strong. Several of the strong earthquakes were felt generally over the southern part of the island. All the strong quakes and 

many of the smaller ones were felt in the area from Kapapala to and 

beyond Naalehu (fig. 5). During the height of the activity it is
38 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

estimated that 20 to 30 earthquakes a day were felt at Naalehu.. 

Northeastward at Kapapala, residents felt fewer earthquakes than at 

Naalehu; and a still smaller number was felt in the Kilauea caldera 

area. It is noteworthy that very few of the earthquakes were felt at 

Kalapana, despite the proximity of that village to the epicenters of 

many of the quakes. The shocks were much more generally felt in. 

the region nearly in line with the presumed submarine fault on which 

they originated than in areas at similar distances approximately 

normal to the fault.

None of the earthquakes caused much damage to property, although 

several of the large ones caused slight shifting or overturning of small, 

objects on shelves. A strong quake (no. 148, fig. 5) at 17h58m orv 

March 17 caused a small tsunami ("tidal wave") at Kalapana.. 

At about 18h waves swept inland about 600 feet, entering the yard 

of the Kalapana School. Storm waves at the time were not of 

sufficient size to account for the incursion of the water. This small 

tsunami produced no record on the tide gage at Hilo. No damage 

was done. However, the writer considered it advisable to issue a 

warning to all communities along the southeastern shore of the island, 

that as long as the swarm of submarine earthquakes continued there 

was a possibility that a large quake of shallow origin might be accompanied by a destructive tsunami. On the basis of this warning, the 

Department of Public Instruction ordered the Kalapana School closed, 

and the children were transported to school elsewhere, until the swarm 

of undersea earthquakes ended.

About 185 earthquakes of the swarm yielded seismograms on which 

the emergence of the P and S phases could be recognized with sufficient 

certainty at several stations to permit reasonably accurate location of" 

the epicenter. These epicenters are indicated in figure 5. All were 

located by means of the distance indicated by the interval S-P, using

at least three stations. Records from the Whitney Laboratory, 

Mauna Loa station, and Hilo station were used in nearly all the locations, and the locations of the strong earthquakes were checked by 

means of the records of the Kona station. Checks on many locations 

were obtained from the records of the vertical seismographs and the 

Imamura strong-motion seismograph at Uwekahuna. In addition, a 

portable seismograph was operated by J, C, Forbes at Naalehu onMarch 26, at Punaluu on March 28, and at the Hilina Pali lookout

station on April 1.

In figure 5, two classes of epicentral locations are shown, In locations of class i there was good agreement of the data from all stations,

In locations of class 2 the agreement was less perfect, although stillclose. Instances in which agreement of the data was poor were rejected, and those epicenters are not shown in figure 5. Owing to the-.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 39

unfavorable distribution of seismograph stations with regard to the 

earthquake epicenters, depth determinations were too uncertain tobe useful.

Submarine contours based on the soundings shown on U. S. Coast 

and Geodetic Survey chart 4115 (7th ed., June 1940) show a broad 

dome with its apex 21 miles nearly due south of the summit of Kilauea 

volcano. Soundings are. inadequate to give a detailed picture of this 

feature, and it is highly desirable that many more soundings be obtained off the island of Hawaii. Existing soundings are, however, 

adequate to give a rather definite generalized picture. A few old 

isolated soundings not accordant with adjacent new soundings, and 

probably erroneous in position, have been rejected in contouring.

The contours are shown by dotted lines in figure 5. The dome is 

probably a shield volcano, lying against the side of the Kilauea shield 

just as Kilauea does against the side of Mauna Loa. The broad nose 

projecting eastward, shown by the minus-9,000-foot contour, proba-bly 

is a ridge built along an eastward-trending rift zone like that of 

Kilauea. It is noteworthy that this probable submarine volcano lies 

almost exactly on a line drawn through the summits of Hualalai and 

Mauna Loa volcanoes. The line coincides with a minor rift zone on 

the upper slopes of Mauna Loa along which eruption occurred in 

prehistoric times.

The distribution of epicenters in figure 5 clearly indicates that the 

earthquake swarm was caused by movements along a line or narrow 

zone nearly parallel to the southern coast of the island. The eastern 

part of the line lies approximately along the axis of the eastwardtrending submarine ridge, and the entire line may mark a rift zone 

crossing south of the summit of the shield, as does the rift zone of 

Kilauea. If so, the movements that caused the earthquakes may have 

accompanied subterranean magma movement or eruption of the submarine volcano. Careful observation was made throughout the 

earthquake period for any signs of submarine eruption. On March 

28 a cowboy employed by the Kapapala Ranch reported seeing three 

puffs of cloud rising from the ocean south of the island, at 14h32m, 

14h50m, and 15h 10m, respectively. These were not reported by any 

other observer. The ocean south of the island was under observation 

for the next several days from the Volcano Observatory, and on 

March 29 and April 1 from the Hilina Pali lookout. Both binoculars 

and a telescope were employed. Several times watchers at the observatory saw puffs of cloud that at first appeared to be rising from 

the ocean, but each time further observation showed them to be 

merely developing puffs of the common coastal cumulus. From 

Hilina Pali no clouds were observed rising from the ocean, nor was 

any other disturbance of the ocean surface observed.
40 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

It is entirely possible that eruption in several thousand feet of water 

might not produce any visible evidence at the surface. Pressure of 

overlying water might prevent vesiculation of sufficient degree to produce pumice or scoria light enough to float to the surface. Steam generated by contact of the hot lava with ocean water probably would be 

cooled and condensed as it rose through the overlying cold water, and 

magmatic gases might be entirely dissolved. Thus neither floating 

pumice nor rising gases might be visible at the surface. On the other 

hand, it appears unlikely that eruption could have occurred without 

producing some record of volcanic tremor on the seismographs. Such 

tremor characteristically accompanies eruptions of Mauna Loa and 

Kilauea, but it was totally absent from the records during March and 

April 1952. Furthermore, even in deep water the heating of the immediately surrounding water, and possibly the introduction of toxic 

gases, probably would cause the death of many fish, which would 

float ashore as they did when the 1950 lava flows entered the ocean. 

(The deep-water fish killed in 1950 are described by Gosline and 

others, 1954.)

A more probable interpretation is that the line indicated by the 

epicenters in figure 5 marks a fault, or more probably a group of faults, 

crossing the southern slope of the submarine shield volcano much as 

the Hilina fault system crosses the southern slope of Kilauea volcano 

above sea level, and that the earthquakes were caused by movement 

along this fault zone. The probability is increased by the occurrence 

during 1951-52 of repeated movements along the other similar fault 

systems on the flanks of both Kilauea and Mauna Loa. It is noteworthy that three of the located earthquakes of the March-April 

group originated along the Hilina fault system, probably as a result of 

adjustment along that system in response to movement on the faults 

farther south. Displacement on the faults of the Hilina system has 

resulted in a rise of the central part of the island in relation to the 

submerged part. It is probable that on the offshore faults also tLe 

predominant movement has been a rise of the island in relation tO th.6

adjacent ocean basin.

The migration of the epicenters indicates that fault movement

began at about longitude 155°06'.W., shifted eastward to about 

longitude 154°57'; tten Troatward as far as 155°32 / on March 19-20, 

then again eastward. After March 25 the located quakes mostly lay 

neaj- tKo central part of the zone of activity, with no definite shifting 

indicated. The migration of earthquake activity back and forth 

along the fault zone is shown graphically in figure 7, in which the

longitudes Of the epicenters shown in figure 5 are plotted against time.

The sejsmioity Talues may be taken as a qualitative indication of 

the energy release by the earthquakes. During the first few days of
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 41

30' 25' 20' 15' 10' 

West Longitude

I55°00' 55'

FIGURK 7. Graph showing relationship between longitude of focus and time of occurrence of the earthquakes the epicenters of which are shown in figure 5. The dots represent the actual earthquakes, and the 

dashed line the approximate median curve.

the earthquake swarm the average rate of energy release apparently 

increased at an essentially uniform rate, suggesting a fairly uniform 

increase in the strain, the release of which was responsible for the 

earthquakes. In figure 8, the curve representing the average hourly 

seismicity during each 24-hour period, March 16-20, rises as a nearly 

straight line. After March 20 the curve flattens into a nearly horizontal plateau. In detail, however, the energy release was not uniform. The plotting of hourly seismicity in the columnar graph (fig. 8) 

generally indicates a succession of progressive increases of energy 

release, each terminated by one or more strong earthquakes, followed 

by a period of a few hours of relative quiet. Thus, although the

331153 55 3
42 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 43

strain on the fault system probably accumulated at a fairly regular 

rate, the release of the strain was not regular, but periodic. The 

arbitrary scale of seismicity in use at the Volcano Observatory prob" 

ably does not adequately represent the greater amount of energy 

released in the large earthquakes, but a scale in which the greater 

energy release was accurately represented would merely increase the 

already striking character of the periodicity in the graph.

Possibly this cyclical behavior may result from a progressive elastic 

yielding of the fault surface or surfaces. Each face of the fault surface 

can be regarded as consisting of a very large number of small areas in 

contact with the opposing face, with widely varying frictional or interlocking resistance to displacement. As the strain gradually accumu-r 

lates, in the adjacent rocks, at a more or less uniform rate, the shearing 

stress on the fault surface becomes sufficient to overcome the resistance 

to displacement at the more weakly bonded spots. These areas 

yield, and elastic rebound locally relieves the strain and produces 

small earthquakes. The over-all strain remains unrelieved, however, 

and the local movements actually increase the stress acting on the 

more firmly bonded parts of the fault surface, until these also yield, 

producing larger earthquakes. Stress finally becomes great enough 

to cause yielding of the most firmly bonded areas of the fault surface, 

the major earthquakes are produced, and the over-all strain is relieved, 

ending the cycle. A period of relative quiet ensues, until the stress 

on the relocked fault surface again reaches proportions great enough 

to cause yielding of its least firmly bonded parts and a new cycle 

commences.

The earthquake swarm of March and April 1952, somewhat resembled that of 1868, although on a smaller scale. During late 

March of 1868 residents of southern Hawaii experienced great numbers 

of earthquakes, reportedly reaching dozens or even hundreds a day. 

They were most severe in the region from Kapapala to Waiohinu. 

This activity was climaxed on April 2 by a violent, earthquake of about 

intensity 10 (Wood, 1914, p. 192) that leveled nearly every building 

in the area. This earthquake was accompanied by a mudflow afc 

Wood Valley, between Kapapala and Pahala, that buried a village 

and killed 31 persons. At the same time a great tsunami seriously 

damaged every coastal village along the southeastern shore of the 

island, destroying 108 houses and taking the lives of 47 people (Brigham, 1909, p. 118). The great earthquake was followed, a few days 

later, by eruption of both Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.

The location of the origin of the great earthquake of April 2, 1868, 

is uncertain. Movement on a fault just west of Waiohinu is reported 

to have horizontally offset a wagon road the width of the road (Wood , 

1914, p. 199). However, the great tsunami that accompanied the
44 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

earthquake suggests that part of the movement occurred offshore. 

It is not impossible that the violent quake of 1868, and many of its 

attendant smaller shocks, originated on the same fault system that 

caused the quakes of March 1952. It appears more probable, however, that they originated on the faults in the vicinity of Waiobinu 

and Naalehu, and then1 seaward extensions.

TILTING OF THE GROUND

Tilting of the ground surface is measured at the Whitney Laboratory 

of Seismology and the Uwekahuna seismograph station, on the northeast and west edges of Kilauea caldera, respectively, and at tilt 

stations just southeast and west of Halemaumau crater on the caldera 

floor (fig. 2). The relationship of ground tilting to volcanic activity

V..-.-X

3 .: s

Si .-3co

\

_-250 

0-~

_oo_oo_oo_oo_o

 OJ ftl ft] ftl 

o_oo_oo_oo_oo o o oo oo oo oo oo no W -N - N -N -W--N-- W - -N--N'--N--N-2jJ

1951 1952 '953

FIGURE 9. Graph showing ground tilting at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology, on the northeastern 

rim of Kilauea caldera, during 1952. The solid line shows the tilt as measured during the year. The 

dashed line is the approximate normal annual curve for years in which there is no volcanic disturbance
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 45

has been discussed in earlier reports (Finch and Macdonald, 1953, 

p. 41; Macdonald and Wentworth, 1954, p. 158).

Figure 9 is a graph showing the north-south and east-west components of the tilting of the ground surface measured at the Whitney 

Laboratory of Seismology by means of the Bosch-Omori seismograph. 

The approximate average annual tilt curves in the two components, 

determined for years in which there was no surficial volcanic activity, 

also are shown in the figure. Any marked variation of the curves of 

actual measured tilt from those of the average annual tilt probably is 

the result of variations in volcanic conditions, presumably largely 

subsurface magmatic pressure. An increase of pressure beneath 

Kilauea caldera causes a rise of the ground surface in the caldera and 

the immediately surrounding area, and a general outward tilting of the 

surface around the caldera. This results in a north-northeastward 

tilting at the Whitney Laboratory, and a westward tilting at Uwekahuna. Conversely, a lowering of pressure results in a sinking of the 

surface in the caldera area, an inward tilting of the surface around the 

caldera, south-southwestward tilting at the Whitney Laboratory, 

and eastward tilting at Uwekahuna. An increase of pressure beneath 

the summit area of Mauna Loa apparently causes an eastward tilting 

at the Kilauea stations, but because of the great distance (22 miles) 

of the stations from the summit of Mauna Loa, the effect is much less 

conspicuous than tilting caused by pressure changes beneath Kilauea.

Table 4 lists the direction and amount of the tilting of the ground 

surface measured at the Whitney and Uwekahuna stations during each 

week of 1952.

During January and February the ground surface at the Whitney 

Laboratory tilted southward through an angle of a little more than 4 

seconds of arc. The direction and amount were approximately normal 

for that season of the year. Eastward tilting continued at the Whitney Laboratory until January 23, about a month later than the 

average date of the annual reversal from eastward to westward tilting. 

This suggests the possibility of some increase of volcanic pressure 

beneath Mauna Loa during early January. During February, however, westward tilting occurred at about the normal rate.

Through March tilting in the east-west azimuth at the Whitney 

Laboratory was irregular, and there was scarcely any accumulation 

of tilt in either direction, as compared to a normal small westward 

tilting. Southward tilting during March was normal for that season, 

but the rate was somewhat less than usual. The abnormally small 

amount of southward tilting, together with an absence of westward 

tilting, suggests some increase of volcanic pressure beneath Kilauea 

during March. The annual reversal from southward to northward 

tilting occurred about the first of April, about a month earlier than
46 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 4. Ground tilting at seismograph stations on the rim of Kilauea caldera

during 1952

Week beginning

Jan. 6.. _________________________

13.. 

20..... .. ...... ..........................

27................................................

Feb. 3.-.-....... ........ ..........................

10...-....-. ....... ...........................

17................................................

24..............-.. ............................

Mar. 2. _________________________

9........... -.. .-..........................

16 

23 

30...... . .. ........ ...........

13... ... . . ....

20....... ....... .......... ...................... ..

27....... ........ ........ ..........................

May 4_. ..... .. ... ...... ............

11....... _ .............. ............. ........

18. 

25 

June I.. _____________________ .. ...

8... 

15 

22......... ... . _ . ........ ..........

29...... . ........ .. .

July 6. 

13. - 

20...- 

27........... ..............................

Aug. 3 

10 

17.... .......... ........................

24....... .... ........ 

31 

Sept. 7....... ...... ........................

14 . ..... ... .... .

21 

28

19 

26 

Nov. 2........ .......... _ . ....... .... . ...

9 ...... ........... .. ....

16. . 

23 

30 

Dec. 1... ....... ............... .......... 

21 

28 ........................ .. ...

Whltney station 

(northeast rim)

Direction

S. 18° E. 

S. 11° W. 

S. 45° E. 

S. 37° W. 

W. 

S. 12° W. 

N. 27° E. 

S. 

N. 7° W. 

N. 70° E. 

S. 31° W. 

N. 80° E. 

N. 45° W. 

N. 12° W. 

S. 18° W. 

N. 71° W. 

N. 45° W. 

S. 18° W. 

S. 11° E. 

N. 45° E. 

N. 18° W. 

N. 63° W. 

N. 68° E. 

N. 6°E. 

S. 66° W. 

S. 14° W. 

N. 67° W. 

S. 18° W. 

S. 18° W. 

S. 21° W. 

S. 59° E. 

S. 

N. 27° W.

S. 31° E.

N. 74° E. 

N. 40° E. 

S. 45° W. 

N. 55° E. 

N. 22° E. 

N. 69° E. 

N. 13° E. 

N. 23° W. 

S. 27° E. 

N. 7° E. 

S. 45° E. 

N. 18° W. 

N. 81° W. 

S. 18° E.

S. 83° W.

W.

S. 16° E.

Amount 

(seconds of 

arc)

0.4 

1.2 

1.7 

1.2 

.6 

1.1 

.5 

.5 

1.1 

1.0 

2.8 

.7 

.7 

1.1 

.4 

.8 

.5 

.4 

.6 

.7 

.4 

.5 

.6 

1.3 

1.5 

1.0 

.9 

.7 

.7 

1.3 

.7 

.5 

.5 

.0 

.7 

1.2 

.9 

.2 

1.5 

2 9

i.o

2.1 

.9 

.5 

1.0 

.3 

1.5 

.7 

1.2 

1.0 

.2

1.7

Uwekahuna station 

(west rim)

Direction

S. 6°E. 

N. 8° E. 

N. 14° W. 

N. 72° W. 

S. 13° E.

S. 5°E. 

S. 27° E. 

S. 14° W. 

N. 6° W. 

N. 9° W. 

S. 19°W. 

S. 27° E. 

S. 25° E. 

S. 16° E. 

S. 19° E. 

N. 22° W. 

S. 13° E. 

N. 9° W. 

S. 64° W. 

N. 9° W. 

N. 45° E. 

N. 19° W. 

W. 

N. 13° E. 

S. 24° E.

S. 63° E. 

S. 19° E. 

S. 20° E. 

S. 18° E. 

S. 63° E. 

S. 29° E. 

N. 8° W. 

N. 18° W. 

N. 45° W. 

N. 22° E. 

N. 71° E. 

S. 28° W. 

S. 34° W. 

N. 20° W. 

N. 34° W. 

S. 7°E. 

N. 27° W. 

S. 

E. 

S. 18° W. 

E.

s. n° E. 

S. 34° E. 

S.27°E.

Amount 

(seconds of 

arc)

3.2 

2.2 

6.9 

1.0 

4.2 

.0 

3.5 

1.4 

1.3 

2.9 

4.2 

1.0 

2.1 

3.9 

2.3 

3.0 

1.7 

2.6 

5.8 

.7 

2.0 

.9 

3.0 

.6 

2.9 

2.4 

.0 

.7 

6.8 

3.7 

1.0 

1.4 

3.3 

2.3 

1.0 

.4 

3.4 

1.0 

4.7 

1.2 

4.7 

1.2 

2.6 

1.4 

.3 

.3 

1.0 

.3 

.0

1.6

1.2 

1.4

normal, Northward tilting continued throughout April, May, and

June, accompanied by somewhat less than normal westward tilting, 

and indicated a definite increase of pressure beneath Kilauea. This

increase was terminated by the eruption of Kilauea on June 27, and

the outbreak was followed by a rapid southward tilting that continued

until mid-August. Apparently the cracking of the volcanic structure

relieved the excess of pressure beneath, and allowed the area around

the active vent to subside.

Northeastward tilting somewhat exceeded the normal through 

September and October, possibly as the result of increase of pressure
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 47

beneath Kilauea as the rate of eruption decreased. Reversal from 

northeastward to southwestward tilting came about a month earlier 

than usual, however, suggesting in turn a decrease of pressure beneath 

Kilauea during the end of the year.

Sharp tilting of the ground surface away from the center of Halemaumau was shown by both tilt stations on the caldera floor at the 

beginning of the eruption of Kilauea. It is not known how long 

before the outbreak this marked tilting commenced, because the two 

stations had been on a schedule of monthly readings and the last 

reading before the eruption was on June 2. Between that date and 

June 30 the ground surface at the southeast tilt cellar tilted 4.9 

seconds S. 42° E. The pointer at the west tilt cellar was moved 

beyond the limits of the scale, but estimation of the approximate position of the pointer indicates that during the same interval the ground 

at that station tilted about the same amount S. 30° W. Thus there 

was a marked outward tilting of the rim of Halemaumau crater just 

before the eruption.

CRACK MEASUREMENTS

Measurements of crack widths were made at 14 stations on the floor 

of Kilauea caldera and along the east rift zone at monthly intervals 

throughout 1952. A fifteenth station (no. 3) was added to the group 

in early October. The location of the crack-measuring stations on 

the caldera floor are shown in figure 10, and those on the east rift zone 

are shown in figure 2. The measurements, including those for 

December 31, 1951, for comparison, are given in table 5.

TABLE 5. Crack measurements, in centimeters, at Kilauea during 1952

Date

Dec. 31 

Jan. 31 

Feb. 21 

Mar. 1 

20 

Apr. 1 

May 1 

23 

June 2 

July 18 

30 

Aug. 8 

Sept. 5 

Oct. 1 

Oct. 31 

Dec. 1

Width of cracks for indicated station 

Rim of Halemaumau

3

.....

.....

.....

.....

73~9~

74.1

5

116.6

117.4 

118.0

118.1

118.8

119.5 

120.1

120.3

121.1 

121." T"

122.3 

122.6 

123.0

123.4

6

fiO 7

61.0 

61 1

61.2

61,4

61.6 

fil 8

61 8

62.1 

6?T

62.8 

62.9 

63 0

G3.1

7

3fi 0

35.0 

35 0

35.0

35 0

35.0 

34 9

34 9

34.8 

34.8

34.8 

34.9 

34 9

35.0

8

58,0

57.9 

58 0

58.0

58 0

57.9 

57 9

57 9

57.9 

57.9 

57 9

57.9 

57.9 

57 9

58.0

9

77 6

77.6 

77 5

77.5

77 5

77.3 

77 7,

77 1

77.0 

77.0

77.2 

77.2

77 9

77.2

20

Ill's"

115.0 

121.0

121.1

121.4

122.0 

122.2

122.3 

122.4 

122.4

122.4

27

64.9 

64.9

64.9

fi4, 9

65.0

64.9 

65.0

65.1 

65.0 

65 1

65.1

On floor of caldera

37

N-S

49.5 

49.5

49.5

49 6

49.7

49.7 

50.6

50.4 

50.4 

50 6

50.6

E-W

45.1 

45.0

45.1

45.1

45.2

45.3 

46.1

46.0 

46.0 

46.1

46.1

37A

64.5 

64.5

64.6

64 7

64.7

64.8 

65.2

65.0 

65.0 

65 1

65.1

40

33.1 

33.1

33.1

33 1

33.1

33.1 

33~~6~

33.5 

33.5 

33 fi

33.6

41

33.5 

33.5

33.5

33 5

33.5

33.5 

0) (')

(')

(0

33.4 

33 4

33.4

On east rift

101A

130.1 

128.9

129.2

129.2

129.6

129.6

130.2

130.3

106

101.6 

101.6

101.7

101.5

101.6

i61.7

101.7

101.7

DT1

36.0 

36.0

36.0

36 0

36.0

36.0

36.0

36.0

' Buried by pumice and ash from Kilauea eruption.
48 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

-North lilt cellar

1000 Fttt

FIGURE io. Map showing the condition of Halemaumau crater before the 1952 eruption, and the location 

of crack-and tilt-measuring stations in the vicinity of the crater.

Cracks 5 and 6, at the rim of Halemaumau crater, just north of the

visitors' observation area, opened consistently throughout the year.

Crack 5 showed an opening of 6.8 centimeters from December 31, 

1951, to December 1, 1952. Crack 6 opened 2.4 centimeters during

the same interval. Stations 7 and 8, which lie along a crack parallel

to the rim of Halemaumau farther south, showed no appreciable

elxange irt -width.. Station 9, located on tlxe same crack 150 feet south.

Of Station 8, showed a closing of 4 millimeters. Crack 27, near the

south edge of the crater, opened 2 millimeters..

Crack-measuring station 20 is situated on a crack behind a narrow 

sliver of rock that teeters on the edge of the crater and appears ready 

to fall any time. In the interval between November 1, 1951, and 

December 1, 1952, the crack widened 14.5 centimeters. During the
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 49

eruption of Kilauea, in July and August, the block outside the crack 

was swaying back and forth with the pulsations of the lava fountains. 

Measurements indicated a rhythmic opening and closing of the crack 

through a width of 1 to 1.5 millimeters.

Cracks 37, 37A, and 40, on the floor of the caldera, showed a marked 

opening between June 2 and July 18. This undoubtedly was the 

result of the tumescence of the caldera floor directly preceding the 

eruption of Kilauea on June 27. These cracks showed no appreciable 

closing during the remainder of 1952 and the early 1953.

GEOMAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS

Measurements of the relative intensity of the vertical component of 

the earth's magnetic field at stations on Kilauea and adjacent parts of 

Mauna Loa were continued through 1952. The work was carried out 

by C. K. Wentworth. An account of the earlier work, and a map 

showing the location of the stations at which measurements were 

made, are contained in a report by Macdonald and Wentworth 

(1954, p. 145, 163).

Table 6 lists the readings obtained during 1952. All readings in the 

table are differences (in gammas) of the vertical intensity at each of 

the magnetometer stations from that at station 0, near the Volcano 

Observatory, on the same date. No obvious effect of the eruption of 

Kilauea volcano on the vertical intensity of the magnetic field appears 

in the readings.

TABLE 6. Difference in vertical intensity of geomagnetism (in gammas) at stations 

on Mauna Loa and Kilauea, compared with the intensity at station 0 during 1952

Station 

no.

1... ...... .

2. .........

3.. .. ......

4..........

5. .........

6..........

7..........

8. ...... ...

9..........

10.........

11. ....... .

12.........

13.. .......

14.........

15.........

16.. .......

17.........

18.........

19.........

20.. .......

21.........

22.........

23.........

24.........

25.........

26.........

27... ......

28.........

Jan. 

29-30

-843

-66

-255

-308

+133

-165

-118

-868

-1, 005

-744

-180

-805

-474

-47

+474

+218

-839

-483

+304

-294

+285

+1, 004

+1, 355

-109

+3, 032

+436

-1, 000

-971

Feb. 

22-23

-860

-42

-388

-398

+88 -171

-130

-850

-1, 021

-809

-204

-652

-573

-74

+522

+194 -813

-504

+314 -328

-106

+965

+1, 395 -167

+2, 684

+203 -980

-1,081

Mar. 

19-20

-897

-130

-458

-472

+18 -264

-490

-878

-994

-818

-291

-841

-601

-51

+448

+1, 150 -374

-83

+665 -5

+1, 718

+864

+1, 333 -157

+2, 199

+180

-1, 007

-1, 040

Apr. 

24-25

-827

-83

-347

-370

+74 -162

-93

-767

-933

-877

-92

-517

-439

-26

+587

+153

-679

-499

+144

-208

+338

+1, 040

+1, 289 -171

+2, 569

+310 -928

-1,035

May 

14-15

-864

-37

-453

-490

+51

-116

-148

-920

-1,035

-776

-240

-712

-572

-74

+471

+245 -721

-453

+365 -435

+319

+878

+1, 320

-83

+2, 495

4-S7

-1, 040

-943

June 

14-16

-827

-10

-352

-356

+101

-176

-227

-740

-860

-818

-259

-758

-545

. -23

+494

+268 -670

-397

+365 -277

+51

+906

+1,391 -88

+2, 634

+263 -993

-966

July 4-11

-789

-26

-328

-323

+121 -131

-88

-766

-879

-695

-168

-677

-540

-42

+461

+210

-686

-506

+334

-295

+309

+852

+1, 540

-54

+2, 761

+261

-860

-920

Sept. 

12-13

-813

-314

-324

+102

-153

-217

-721

-827

-697

-138

-688

-522

-4

+411

+203

-735

-471

+314

-287

+268

+868

+1, 386

-148

+2, 606

+296

-966

-1,031

Oct. 

20

-795

+27 -291

-310

+157 -88

-65

-689

-790

-777

-176

-647

-504

+64

+582

+263 -661

-476

+355 -254

-47

+882

+1, 344 -134

+2, 568

+249 -957

-998

Nov. 

21

-915

-37

-328

-550

-171

-245

-157

-882

-1,007

-910

-»226

-1, 039

-591

-351

+300

+157

-799

-536

+171

-642

+203

+1, 483

+966 -633

+2, 569 -23

-924

-1, 197

Dec. 

30-31

-817

-115

-392

-637

+5

-212

-184

-1,122 -887

-873

-263

-767

-513

-97

+402

+180 -744

-485

+272 -328

+140

+846

+1, 234

-120

+2. 574

+393

-1,072

-1, 183
50 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS

Measurements of the temperature of the steam escaping at Sulphur 

Bank (fig. 2) were continued through 1952. Measurements were 

made at a natural vent near the east end of the solfataric area, and at 

the drilled well (Finch and Macdonald, 1951, p. 116). At neither 

place did the temperature show any variation detectable within the 

limits of reading of the thermometer. The temperature of the steam 

issuing at the well remained 96 °C throughout the year. That of the 

steam at the natural vent was 94.5°. The boiling temperature of 

water at the altitude of the vents is 95.7°.

Many measurements of the temperature of the fluid lava were made 

during the eruption of Kilauea. These are discussed in the section of 

the report dealing with the eruption.

On March 20 the Territorial Highway Department installed a 

recording thermometer on the Kaapuna flow (formerly known as the 

Ohia Lodge flow) of the 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa. The thermal 

element was placed in a hot crack at an altitude of 1,350 feet, just 

inland from the position of the old highway that was buried by the 

flow. The flow is about 50 feet deep at that point.

K. B. Hirashima, testing engineer for the Territorial Highway 

Department, states that a temporary installation with the thermal 

element at a depth of 18 inches yielded a temperature reading of 

460 °C. This initial reading agreed reasonably well with rough 

measurements made by the writer in September 1950 (Macdonald and 

Wentworth, 1954, p. 171). The permanent installation at a depth of 

3 feet indicated a temperature of 515.5°C. The temperature recorded 

was much higher than at comparable depths over most of the flow, as 

was demonstrated in cuts several feet deep excavated along the 

course of the new highway, which crosses the flow a short distance 

seaward of the position of the old highway. The high temperature at 

the thermometer installation was caused by gases rising from the

lower part of the thick flow.

TABLE 7. Temperature readings at a hot crack in the 1950 Kaapuna lava flow near 

0 the old highway, during 1952

[Data supplied by K. B. Hirashima, Territorial Highway Department]

Date

im

Mar. 20

April 3

17

May 1

15

29

June 12

Temperature

515

504

482

449

410

371

326

Date

1358 Con.

June 20 July 10

24

Aug. 7

21

Sept. 4

18

Temperature

294

200

232

207

188

166

149

Date

1958 Coil.

Oct. 2 

10

30

Nov. 13

27

Dec. 11

25

T-f

138

120

116

99

90

82

82

Date

19 S3

Jail. 8 

22

26

Temper76 

76

71
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 51

Table 7 gives readings taken from the chart of the recording 

thermometer at biweekly intervals during the remainder of 1952 and 

January 1953. Operation of the thermometer was discontinued after 

January 1953 because of completion of the new highway construction. 

The figures were supplied by Mr. Hirashima.

RAINFALL RECORDS

Daily readings of rainfall were continued at the gage near the Uwekahuna seismograph station throughout 1952. Gages at the Mauna 

Loa seismograph station and at an altitude of 5,500 feet on the Mauna 

Loa truck trail were read every 2 days. A rain gage 300 feet north 

of the southeast tilt cellar, on the floor of Kilauea caldera southeast 

of Halemaumau, was read at the end of each month. The monthly 

total for these gages are given in table 8.

TABLE 8. Rainfall during 1952, in inches

Month

January....... ........................................

April........ ......................... _ .......... _ ..

May....... .....

July........ ....................................

August.......................... _ .......... __ . .....

September.......................... _ ....... .........

December..................................... _ ... ...

Total.... ........................................

Halemauman

22.27

4.07

12.22

.74

3.69

.55

1.55

.20

1.15

^ 0";

6.45

2.07

58.01

Ga

Uwekahuna 

seismograph 

station

21.22

3.31

7.85

.64

1.50

.41

.95

.08

.42

1.75

3.67

.98

42.78

ge

Mauna Loa 

truck trail

17.64

3.54

8.00

.75

3.52

.00

2.00

.03

.79

3. 55

6 79

.49

47.03

Mauna Loa 

seismograph 

station

19.67

3.94

11.40

1.17

5.51

.08

3.39

.24

1. 68

3.51

R 4fi

.76

57.81

VOLCANIC CONDITIONS DURING 1952

The principal event of the year was the eruption of Kilauea volcano 

that began on June 27 and continued until early November. The 

eruption is discussed in detail on later pages.

Both Kilauea and Mauna Loa were quiet through January and 

February, although earthquake activity was somewhat greater at 

Kilauea than usual. Early in February a large rock slide occurred 

on the southeastern wall of Halemaumau, south of the visitors' lookout 

point. The scar left by the slide was first observed on the morning 

of February 9, but the slide probably occurred during or immediately 

following a strong earthquake at 21 h 55m on February 7. Halemaumau 

was not visible from the Volcano Observatory on February 8 because 

of rain clouds filling Kilauea caldera. The slide removed a layer of 

rock about 500 feet wide and 450 feet high from the upper part of the 

crater wall. Many smaller slides followed, the largest of which oc-
52 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

curred near noon on February 21. Occasional small slides continued 

through March. Altogether, the slides deposited more than 2 million 

cubic feet of broken rock on the floor of Halemaumau, and caused a 

retreat of the run of the crater of as much as 10 feet. The two 

volcanoes continued essentially quiet through March, although the 

great swarm of earthquakes off the southern shore of the island was 

accompanied by a few quakes along the faults' of the Hilina system, 

on the southern flank of Kilauea.

Early in April a series of earthquakes commenced along the east 

rift zone of Kilauea and beneath the caldera region. They were accompanied by a northward tilting of the ground surface at the northeast edge of the caldera, indicating an increase of volcanic pressure 

beneath Kilauea. During the last days of April the uneasiness of 

Kilauea subsided somewhat, but was resumed during May. Mauna 

Loa also showed some seismic uneasiness, and possibly a small increase 

of pressure during May. This uneasiness of both volcanoes continued 

into June.

Following the outbreak of activity at Kilauea on June 27, the uneasiness of Mauna Loa disappeared, and for the next 2 months the 

volcano was quiet. Through the first half of September the ground 

at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology tilted eastward at a rate 

considerably greater than that normal for that season of the year. 

This eastward tilting probably resulted from a doming of Mauna Loa 

caused by an increase of volcanic pressure beneath it. From September 17 to 30 there was no further eastward tilting, although several 

earthquakes of Mauna Loa origin indicated some uneasiness of the 

volcano. This restlessness continued during October, and on October 

24-25 a swarm of 165 very small earthquakes from the northeast 

rift zone of Mauna Loa indicated movement along that rift.

The eruption of Kilauea ended about November 10. Through the 

remainder of the year Kilauea and Mauna Loa were quiet. During

November, ground tilting at the Whitney Laboratory W&S nOPthe&§tward at a rate about normal for that season, suggesting that there was

little or no withdrawal of magma with accompanying decrease of 

volcanic pressure following the end of the Kilauea eruption, seismic

activity was approximately normal through December. The reversal 

Of tilting at the Whitney Laboratory, from northeastward to southwestward, took place about a month earlier than usual, This may 

indicate some decrease of volcanic pressure beneath Kilauea, but tne

time of reversal in tHe direction of tilting is rather variable from year

to year. The rate of south-westward tilting through December was

approximately normal for the period following the usual annual reversal. There was no marked reduction of pressure beneath Kilauea,
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 53

such as probably caused the subsidence of the summit area of Kilauea 

in December 1950 (Finch and Macdonald, 1953, p. 82).

Vents on the floor of Halemaumau crater continued to liberate 

moderate amounts of pale, bluish-gray fume through late November 

and December. On the morning of December 11, Ernest Morton, 

manager of the Kahuku Ranch, reported large clouds of steam in the 

vicinity of the vents of the 1950 eruption at an altitude of about 

10,000 feet on the southwest rift zone of Mauna Loa. Smaller amounts 

of steam were observed at the same locality at other times during the 

year. The prominent steam clouds on December 11 probably resulted from unusually good visibility, and from high atmospheric 

humidity and low temperature that caused greater than usual condensation of the steam.

THE ERUPTION OF KILAUEA

BRIEF HISTORY OF ACTIVITY IN KILAUEA CALDERA

Since Kilauea volcano first became known to Europeans in the early 

19th century its activity has been predominantly confined to the 

caldera. Several flank flows have occurred, but their total volume is 

small compared with the lava erupted within the caldera.

Through the early and middle part of the 19th century the history 

of the caldera was one of repeated collapses and refillings. The conflicting reports of the depth of the caldera at different dates have 

been subjected to careful study and analysis by Finch (1940). The 

following brief review is taken largely from Finch's paper, and the 

histories of Hawaiian volcanoes assembled by Dana (1890), Brigham 

(1909), and Hitchcock (1909).

When viewed by William Ellis in 1823, the caldera consisted of a 

narrow bench (generally referred to in the literature on Hawaiian 

volcanoes as the "black ledge"), 600 to 700 feet below the high western rim of the caldera, and 200 to 300 feet below the level of the present 

caldera floor. Within the black ledge was a broad inner pit 300 feet 

deep, occup3>ing most of the caldera floor. The flank flow of 1823 

had occurred only a few months before, and the sinking of the central 

part of the caldera below the level of the black ledge was presumably 

the result of removal of support by draining away of underlying magma 

during the flank eruption. It is generally believed that a similar collapse of the central part of the caldera took place during the eruption 

that occurred about 1790, and that the central depression had been 

filled to the level of the black ledge during the interval between 1790 

and 1823.

During the years following 1823, eruptions within the central basin 

gradually filled the central depression, and by 1832 the new floor had 

reached a level about 50 feet above that of the former black ledge.
54 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

Another subsidence of the central part of the caldera occurred in 1832, 

and in 1834 the caldera was much as it had been in 1823, having an 

inner basin 400 feet deep surrounded by a narrow black ledge.

In the succeeding years eruptions filled the inner basin and overflowed the black ledge with new lava. By 1840 a broad dome 100 

feet high occupied the caldera floor, with its summit in the southwestern part of the caldera in the vicinity of the present Halemaumau.

The flank flow of 1840 was accompanied by another collapse of the 

central part of the caldera, but the area of the central basin was smaller 

than in 1823 and 1832. As mapped by the U. S. Exploring Expedition in 1840, the inner pit was 350 feet deep and oval in outline, 

having a long diameter of about 1.8 miles and an average shorter 

diameter of 1 mile. The average width of the black ledge surrounding 

the inner pit was 1,600 feet and the average level of the ledge was 

about 650 feet below the western run of the caldera at Uwekahuna. 

By 1846 the inner basin was again filled to and above the level of the 

black ledge. The filling was partly by flows over the floor of the basin, 

but also partly by a bodily elevation of the floor. This elevation 

brought up not only the relatively flat lava floor of the basin, but also 

the banks of talus that had accumulated at the foot of the cliffs enclosing the basin. A narrow ridge of fragmental debris more than a 

mile long was formed standing 50 to 100 feet above the adjacent 

caldera floor. During 1848 a dome 3,500 feet across and 200 to 300 

feet high was built, the apex of which was in the southwestern part 

of the caldera. Subsequent to 1838, and possibly earlier, the principal 

center of activity in the caldera was near its southwest edge, at or 

near the site of the present Halemaumau.

The eruption of 1868 was accompanied by another collapse in the 

caldera. An area about the size of the inner basin in 1840 sagged

downward some 300 feet, and in the southwestern part of this sunken 

area, at Halemaumau, an inner conical pit was formed 3,000 feet in 

diameter at the top and 500 feet deep. The volume of the collapse 

was somewhat less than that of 1840 (Finch, 1940). Again there was 

a gradual filling of the central depression. By 1874 the cone around

Halemaumau had reached a height nearly equal to that of the southern 

wall of the caldera, and lava streams from it were pouring northward 

into tne central depression. TLe lava disappeared briefly from Halemaumau in April 1879, but there was no general subsidence of the

caldera, and the molten lava reappeared in the lake aoout a month 

later.

In 1886 subsidence of the area surrounding Halemaumau. produced

a roughly triangular pit 2,900 feet across and 325 feet deep, with a

small pit 275 feet deep in its floor. This depression was soon refilled, 

but 5 years later, in 1891, another similar collapse occurred. This
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 55

collapse also was restricted to the area close to Halemaumau. Refilling of the pit started almost immediately, and by July 1892 the lake 

was again overflowing.

From 1823 to 1894, activity at Kilaueawas essentially continuous. 

There were many intervals, especially just after the great subsidences, 

when liquid lava disappeared from the crater, but they were brief. 

Active lava returned within a few weeks or days of its disappearance. 

In 1894 a marked change in the character of the activity took place. 

A spectacular minor subsidence occurred at Halemaumau during 

July 1894, lowering the level of the lava 270 feet below the rim of 

the pit. Activity continued at depths of 300 to 600 feet in Halemaumau pit until December 1894, when molten lava disappeared. From 

1894 to 1907 only occasional brief spells of activity occurred deep in 

the pit, although fume apparently has always been visible. This 

13-year interval of relative quiescence was the first break in the continuity of the activity of Kilauea since before 1823.

From 1907 to 1924 the volcano was again essentially continuously 

active. Spectacular but minor collapses occurred at Halemaumau in 

1916, 1919, and 1922. In May 1924 the greatest collapse since 1840 

occurred, and was accompanied by strong phreatic explosions caused 

by the entrance of ground water into the hot throat of the volcano 

(Jaggar and Finch, 1924). The collapse and accompanying explosions 

enlarged Halemaumau from a nearly circular pit 1,400 feet in diameter, 

to one with major and minor diameters of 3,400 and 3,000 feet at the 

surface and a depth of 1,330 feet.

Active lava returned to Halemaumau in July 1924, and from then 

until September 1934 there were seven eruptions in Halemaumau. 

The longest of these was the eruption of 1934, which started on September 6 and continued for 33 days. Lava outflow during these 

eruptions reduced the depth of Halemaumau from 1,300 to 770 feet. 

Then began a period of complete quiescence of nearly 18 years, ended 

only by the outbreak in'June 1952. During this interval there were 

occasional signs of subsurface activity. In November 1944 earthquakes and ground tilting indicated a rise of magma beneath Kilauea. 

No eruption occurred, however, and in early December a reversal of 

tilting indicated that the magma column was subsiding again (Finch, 

1944). In December 1950 marked ground tilting accompanied by a 

large number of earthquakes indicated a subsidence of the top of 

Kilauea mountain, presumably reflecting reduction of magma 

pressure beneath it (Finch, 1950). Throughout the 18-year period 

of quiescence not even mild fuming was observed at Halemaumau. 

The condition of Halemaumau in mid-June 1952, is shown in figure 10.

The progressive decrease in the size of the sunken inner depression 

strongly suggests a corresponding decrease in the size of the mobile
56 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

mass (presumably the magma column) beneath Kilauea caldera. 

Since 1886 its diameter appears to have been only about that of the 

present Halemaumau. This, together with the decrease in frequency 

of eruption, suggests that the general activity of the volcano may 

have suffered an over-all decrease during the past century and a half. 

Table 9 shows the duration of each eruption in Halemaumau since 

1924, the length of the repose period preceding it, and the volume of 

lava extruded. The 1952 eruption, which followed a much longer 

period of quiescence than any of the others, had a much longer duration 

than any of the earlier ones, and the volume of lava erupted was 

much greater than the total of the others.

TABLE 9. Data on eruptions in Halemaumau since 1924

Year

1924. - 

1927 . 

1929 

1930 

1931 

1934 

1952 

Date of outbreak

July 19 

July 7 

July 25 ------------------------

December 23 __ . ______ . ...

June 27. __________ . __ .-

Duration 

(days)

11

13

2

4

19

14

33

130

Repose 

period 

since last 

eruption 

(months)

2.5

35

19

5

15.5

12.5

44

202.5

Volume of 

lava (cubic 

yards)

320, 000

3, 160, 000

1, 920, 000

3, 600, 000

8, 480, 000

9, 640, 000

9, 500, 000

84, 000, 000

NARRATIVE OP THE ERUPTION

OPENING PHASE Of THE ERTTPTION, JCHVE 27-28

Kilauea volcano resumed eruptive activity late in the evening of 

June 27, 1952. The exact time of the outbreak is uncertain, but it 

appears to have been about 23h40m . Continuous volcanic tremor

commenced on the Volcano Observatory seismographs at 23h37m308, 

and the molten lava probably reached the surface within the next 

few minutes. At 23h35m on June 27 Mrs. John R. Fox was awake

in the living room of her Lome on the northeastern rim of Kilauea 

caldera, from which there is an excellent view of Halemaumau crater.

She noticed nothing unusual, About 23MOm she entered another

room, the window of which was open, and almost immediately

heard a loud, whistling roar probably caused by the escape of gas at 

Halemaumau. Alarmed, she returned immediately to the living

room, and saw a bright orange glow over Halemaumau. 

At approximately 23n40m Col. B. W. Rushton, commanding officer

of Kilauea Military Camp, pointed out to John Forbes, of the Volcano

Observatory staff, a bright reddish glow in the direction of Halemaumau. Forbes immediately identified this glow as resulting from an 

eruption of Kilauea. John and LaVieve Forbes went immediately
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 57

to the Volcano Observatory at Uwekahuna, where they telephoned 

the writer at about 23h45m .

At the time John and LaVieve Forbes reached the observatory, the 

top of a huge lava fountain was clearly visible above the rim of Halemaumau at its southwest edge. At the beginning of the eruption the 

floor of Halemaumau pit was about 800 feet below the level of the 

southwestern run; therefore this fountain must have been more than 

800 feet high! By the time the writer reached the observatory, at 

about 23h 55m, the fountain was no longer visible, but scattered incandescent fragments still were being thrown above the rim, many of them 

landing outside of the pit and bursting in flashes of red on the caldera 

floor southwest of Halemaumau.

After picking up the needed equipment, we drove immediately to 

Halemaumau by way of the road around the southwest edge of the 

caldera. The fume cloud was so dense that visibility was very limited, 

and the fall of pumice on the road was so abundant that at tunes it 

nearly stopped the progress of the car. Some of the pumice blocks 

were as much as 10 inches across. Choking sulfur fumes were annoying, but not serious so long as the car windows were kept closed. 

Impact of pumice caused frosting of the car to such an extent that 

the windshield had to be replaced and the car body refinished.

We reached the southeastern rim of Halemaumau at 10 minutes 

past midnight. A continuous line of lava fountains, 2,600 feet in 

length, was playing along a fissure that extended in a northeastsouthwest direction entirely across the floor of Halemaumau crater, 

and about 50 feet up the northeastern wall (fig. 10). Most of the 

fountain jets ranged from 50 to 100 feet high, but one fountain at the 

foot of the southwestern wall was 400 feet high. Showers of liquid 

ejecta from the high fountain struck the adjacent wall and trickled 

down it in a fiery cascade. Several minor fountains, a few feet in 

height, were present also on the northern part of the floor in the vicinity 

of the 1934 cones (fig. 10). Liquid lava was spreading from them, as 

well as from the fountains along the main fissure, and had already 

covered the entire floor of the crater.

The pool of lava was very fluid, and waves from the fountain chain 

swept entirely across its surface and up against the walls. Evanescent 

sinkholes developed near the edge of the pool, accompanied by small 

lava fountains. Each continued active for only a few minutes, then 

disappeared, to be replaced by another at some other point. Visibility 

in Halemaumau was poor because of the large amount of fume, but 

during brief glimpses of the northern part of the floor the 1934 cones 

could not be seen. It is probable that they were already buried, and 

that the liquid pool had attained a depth of more than 30 feet within

331153 55 4
58

the first half-hour of the eruption. If so, the volume of lava extruded 

during that brief intervalwas 4,000,000 cubic yards or more.

The molten lava quickly crusted over, but movement of the underlying liquid tore the crust apart along myriads of lines that revealed 

the brightly glowing material beneath (pi. 1). From time to time 

small whirlwinds moving across the lake picked up .fragments of the 

hot crust 3 or 4 feet in diameter, lifted them 15 or 20 feet into the air, 

and sent them spinning off across the surface.

The lava fountains decreased rapidly in size. By Olh 15m on June 28 

the southwestern fountain was only 250 feet high, and by 03h had 

shrunk to 100 feet. At 03h 15m this fountain and the southwestern 

part of the fountain chain for 150 feet from the wall had become inactive except for occasional very small bursts, and activity along the 

next 150 feet of the fountain chain was very weak. At 04h the entire 

southwestern half was totally inactive, and along the next quarter 

of the fissure the fountains were very small. Along the northeastern 

quarter of the fissure the fountains were still 50 to 75 feet high. By 

04b 10m the active fountains were mostly restricted to the northeasternmost eighth of the fissure, and volcanic tremor had nearly ceased 

recording on the seismographs. Activity had reached a very low ebb, 

and for a short tune it was thought the eruption might be ending.

THE PHASE OF THE LARGE LAVA LAKE, JUNE 27-JULY 5

At 04h20m on June 28 small fountains resumed activity along the 

southwestern quarter of the fissure. These fountains were a mere 

bubbling of liquid lava, liberating very little gas, although abundant 

gas liberation continued at the northeastern fountains. At 05h 

activity was restricted to three blowing vents at the base of the 

northeast wall talus, the new small .fountains in the southwestern 

part of the crater, and a few small sporadic bursts along the intervening part of the fissure. Very little fume was being given off.

Daylight brought a clear view of the floor of the crater, and confirmed 

the complete burial of the 1934 cones. The thickness of the new lava 

fill was estimated to be 50 feet and the volume about 8,000,000 

cubic yards. 

About O6h one of the small fountains near the southwest edge of

the crater floor began to increase. By 06h 15m a strong dome-shaped

fountain, 25 feet across had formed. Typical lava fountains are

semiexplosive in nature, resembling a jet from a hose playing spasmodically into the air, and liberating a cloud of gas. This fountain, 

however, was nonexplosive, with little gas liberation, resembling 

half an orange placed flat side down on the surface of the lava lake, 

similar to the dome of water that is sometimes observed above the 

aperture of a freely flowing artesian well. Crusts of the surrounding
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 59

lava lake were drawn toward the fountain, and foundered around 

its edge. By 07h 15m the fountain occasionally reached heights as 

great as 50 feet.

At 06h30m, a double fountain jet in a small cone built on the lower 

slope of the Dortheastern talus was spurting to heights of 30 to 40 

feet, and throwing occasional bursts of spatter as high as 60 feet. 

A sluggish lava stream issued through a breach in the southeastern 

wall of the conelet and ran down its side at a speed of about 5 miles 

an hour. Another small vent 50 feet farther northeast was spurting 

from tune to time, and sending a trickle of lava down the western 

side of the conelet. Both vents were roaring, and liberating more 

blue fume than the southwestern fountain. Two small fountains 

about 200 feet southwest of the northeastern conelet were spurting 

sporadically.

Throughout the morning of June 28 the southwestern fountains 

gradually increased, and the northeastern fountains decreased. 

At llh a small flow of aa was issuing from the northeasternmost vent 

of the northeast conelet. This single small flow, which continued 

for the balance of the day, was the only aa observed during the 

entire eruption. By noon the northeastern fountains had become 

very small, and the principal southwestern fountain had increased 

to about 75 feet hi height and 100 feet in diameter at the base. It 

was no longer a dome-shaped fountain of gently rising liquid, but 

instead was a typical semiexplosive, flinging fountain. Fifty feet to 

the northeast a new small fountain played nearly continuously, and 

100 feet farther northeast another played spasmodically. Around 

the fountain group concentric waves spread out in the crust of the 

lake over a radius of 500 feet. A slump scarp 10 to 15 feet high had 

formed around most of the circumference of the new lava floor, a 

few feet to 50 feet from its margin, owing to vertical shrinkage of the 

central part of the new fill.

At 15h30m the fountains near the southwestern wall had become 

small and sporadic, but a new fountain just northeast, about 300 

feet from the southwest wall, was playing to an average height of 150 

feet. The amount of gas being given off had increased greatly. 

The northeast fountains remained about the same as they had been at 

noon, but about 600 feet to the southwest a prominent sinkhole had 

developed. Lava streamed toward it from all directions. As the 

lava was drawn toward the sinkhole the crust was broken and torn 

apart, and as the fragments reached the sink they tilted on edge and 

plunged beneath the surface. Small sporadic fountains played in the 

sinkhole.

At many other places on the lake the crust was rifted open from 

time to tune, often repeatedly along the same line. There also,
60 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

crust fragments were drawn in, tilted up, and plunged under. This 

generally was followed by a row of tiny fountains, lasting only a few 

seconds, over the place where the crust fragments disappeared.

During the evening of June 28 the fountain 300 feet from the southwest wall continued to increase until by midnight it was playing 

steadily to heights around 150 feet, with occasional bursts reaching 

300 feet. Late in the evening a very active sinkhole developed at the 

southwest edge of the lake, over the course of the eruptive fissure. 

A river of lava about 25-feet wide flowed into it ftom the area of the: 

nearby fountains, and small edge fountains played sporadically in 

and around it. The Dorfcheast sinkhole continued active.

By midnight the vents at the northeast edge of the crater had built 

narrow-throated conelets and were blowing explosively with loud 

booming noises and throwing showers of ejecta to a height of 150 feet. 

Banners of pale blue flame 5 to 15 feet long played intermittently 

over the mouth of the conelets.

Activity continued much the same through June 29 and 30. By 

noon of June 29 the slump scarp near the edge of the floor had been 

reburied, and a bench of semisolid pahoehoe crust was beginning to 

form around the edge, gradually restricting the size of the central 

lava lake. The bench was at about the same level as the general 

surface of the lake, and as the level of the latter rose slowly during 

the succeeding days, repeated small overflows moved out across the 

bench from the edge of the lake, or from fractures within the bench 

itself. From time to time fragments as much as 150 feet across, 

became detached from the bench and formed islands in the lake. 

These islands moved across the lake toward the fountains, presumably

carried along by a return circulation in the lower part of the lake. 

They appeared, however, to be floating, rising and falling with the 

level of the liquid around them.

The prominent southwestern and northeastern sinkholes continued 

active. Directly following the engulfment of especially large or 

numerous crust fragments, fountaining within the sinks increased 

notably. However, these sinkholes appeared to be primary fountain

rents in their own right as well. Small sporadic fountains played

within the sink even when crustal foundering was not marked, and

from time to time sinking gave place entirely to fountain action.

On June 29 sporadic fountains played along most of the length of

the eruptive fissure southwest of the northeast sinkhole. Along this

line lava moved slowly inward and sank, dragging the crust with it

and producing a puckered cicatrice extending from the northeast

sinkhole to the main southwestern fountain,.

By the afternoon of June 29 the conelet at the northeast edge of 

the lake had grown to a height of about 50 feet. At 00h 30m on
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 f 61

June 30 a small glowing spot appeared on the eastern wall of the 

conelet, apparently caused by melting of the cone wall from within, 

and a few minutes later a small pahoehoe flow issued from this aperture. At Ol h the walls of the conelet collapsed, liberating a small 

flood of very hot lava from the interior of the conelet. At the same 

time the northeast fountains increased from scattered showers of 

ejecta barely visible above the rim of the conelet, to a strong jet 150 

feet high. The conelet quickly commenced rebuilding, and by late 

afternoon spatter from the fountains had again nearly sealed over 

the top of the conelet. Similar activity occurred for the next several 

days, the cone alternately sealing nearly or completely over, and reopening as the top was weakened by melting and collapsed. Occasional small flows spread over the crust bench near the conelet. The 

northeastern vents finally became inactive on July 6.

On June 30 a large fountain, averaging 150 feet in height, was playing about 500 feet from the southwest edge of the lake, and on both 

sides of it along the line of the fissure were 16 smaller fountains

(fig. 11).

Early on June 29 a crust island, about 150 feet across became detached from the marginal bench at the northern edge of the lake and 

moved slowly southward. On the evening of June 30 the island 

reached the main fountain area 800 feet northeast of the southwest 

sinkhole (fig. 11). About 18h 30m this island moved over the northeasternmost small fountain and immediately started to disappear, 

partly by crumbling away of its edges, and partly by foundering and 

being overflowed by fluid lava. The disintegration of the large island 

produced two small islands, which assumed positions just east and 

northwest of the principal fountain. By the night of July 1 these 

islands appeared to be grounded. Instead of rising and falling with 

the surrounding liquid as they had previously, they remained essentially stationary, the liquid lava around them rising and falling with 

the surges from the fountains, alternately exposing and concealing a 

brightly glowing band at their bases.

The crust bench had gradually widened until by the afternoon of 

June 30 it was encroaching on the northeast sinkhole. On the 

afternoon of July 1 the sinkhole ceased to function, and was replaced 

by a constant fountain 75 to 150 feet high. Spatter from this fountain 

accumulated on adjacent parts of the crust bench, and a small cone 

began to build around the fountain. On July 2 the conelet was 

widely breached on the eastern side, and small flows from the fountains were moving over the bench nearby. On July 3 the conelet 

was about 20 feet high and beehive shaped. By July 4 the cone was 

nearly sealed in after which the fountain activity ceased.
62 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

3690

500 1000 Feet

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

3644

EXPLANATION 

Lava fountains Talus

Cinder cone Spatter

FIGUKE 11. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau crater at 13 h on June 30, 1952.

The progressive change of conditions from July 1 to 6 is shown in 

figures 12-15. The bench of semisolid pahoehoe around the edge of 

the crater floor gradually widened, decreasing the area of the central 

lake of fluid lava. On the morning of June 28 the lake extended 

across the crater from wall to wall, and had an area of about 100 

acres. By July 1 the bench at the north side ranged from 400 to 700

feet wide, and the area of the lava lake had been reduced to 68 acres.

On July 4 the lake area was 44 acres, including the area of the two

large islands (fig. 13). On July 5 one of the islands became joined 

to the eastern shore, transforming it into a peninsula (fig. 14), and the

other island disintegrated. Early on July 6, however, overflows of

the isthmus again isolated the island from the shore (fig. 15).

On the morning of July 2 the activity of the southwestern sinkhole 

was weak. At 10h55m it suddenly reversed, and became a large foun-
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 63

tain that increased until at Ilh30m it was throwing ejecta regularly to 

a height of 200 feet, and occasionally as much as 300 feet (pis. 2, 3). 

At the same tune the central fountains increased in activity and became explosive, throwing rocketlike bursts as high as 250 feet, accompanied by loud detonations. By midafternoon a large lava flow, 

about 10 feet thick, was moving eastward from the southwest fountain 

along the base of the crater wall, and another was advancing northeastward between a pressure ridge on the crust bench and the central 

fountains. By 14h30m the whole central part of the lake appeared to 

be heating up, and at 15h30m overflows from the lake were spreading 

over the marginal bench on the northern and western sides. At l5h4:Qm

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Spatter Talus

Lava fountains Cinder cone

FIGURE 12. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau crater on July 1,1952.
64 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

500 1000 Feet

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Spotter

Lava fountains Cinder cone

\l FIGURE 13. Map Showing conditions in Halemaumau crater on July 4,1952.

the southwest fountain abruptly stopped, then spurted briefly three

times, the last at 15h45m . It remained inactive for the remainder of

the afternoon. At 19n the Site of the southwest fountain was inundated by a south-westward spreading of the lava lake. About 21h the 

sinkhole resumed sluggish activity.

At 05h30m on July 3, the southwest sinkhole again suddenly became 

a fountain which increased rapidly to a height of 400 feet. Again, as

on the previous day, tne central fountains became noisily explosive.

The strong founkining lasted until about 07", then subsided until mi 

activity was very weak. By 07h30m the southwest sinkhole resumed 

sluggish activity, and the central fountains gradually regained their
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 65

former size. Conditions continued much the same for the remainder 

of the day.

Weak sporadic fountaining began again at the southwest sinkhole at 

22h 15m . By 22h40m the height of the fountain had increased to 100 

feet, and by 23h45m had reached 400 feet. E. L. Bohlin reported that 

the fountaining continued strong until 03h30m on July 4, playing 

steadily like the jet of water from a hose to heights of about 400 feet, 

with occasional bursts going above the rim of the pit, a height of more 

than 600 feet. Pumice fell on the road at the southwest edge of the 

caldera. This fountain activity was the strongest after the first few 

hours of the eruption. As in the previous spasms, the central fountains were very noisy, sending long rocketlike strings of molten lava 

high into the air. The whole central lake and part of the marginal

Spotter Talus

1000 Feet

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Lava fountains Cinder cone

FIGURE 14. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau crater on July 5,1952.
66 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

A 3690

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Spatter Talus

Lava fountains Cinder cone

FIGURE 15. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau crater on July 6, 1952.

bench were inundated by new flows. At 03h30m both the main southwest fountain and the central fountains suddenly subsided, nearly

disappearing within a few minutes.

Through the morning of July 4 the southwest sinkhole was alternately moderately active and sluggish. About 15hOOm it again became

a fountain, which by 15h30m was reaching heights similar to those of

the night before. Again, also, the central fountains became very 

active, shooting long stringlike "rockets" as high as 250 teet, With 

noisy detonations. Balloonlike balls of lava, as much as 20 feet in

diameter, rose in tlie Central fountain pits until tKey appeared to be

almost detached from the underlying lava, then burst io release a 

large puff of pale-brown gas. The strong activity was short lived, 

and by 16h 15m activity had returned to normal. Still another flareup
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 67

of the southwestern fountain occurred at 04hOOm on July 5, but the 

fountain reached a height of only 200 feet. After July 5 no great 

increases of the southwest fountain occurred, although for several days 

conditions alternated between sinkhole and fountain activity.

CONE-BUILDING PHASE, JULY 6-AUGUST 9

During the first few days of the eruption the deep pool of fluid lava 

arouad the central fountains offered no place for the accumulation of 

fountain ejecta, and cone building was impossible. By the night of 

June 30, however, a sufficient amount of pasty material had accumulated in the lower part of the lake to support the crust islands on the 

two sides of the fountains (pi. 4). Spatter from the fountains accumulated on the islands, initiating the cone-building phase of the eruption. 

Building was slow at first, and by the morning of July 5 the island just 

west of the central fountain had been built up to a height of only 25 

feet, partly because the underlying material was not strong enough to 

support the island and allowed it to sink somewhat as it built up. 

Further evidence of the mobile character of the lake bottom is shown 

by a gradual southwestward shifting of the island along the edge of the 

fountain chain. During the 24 hours from 17 h on July 5 to the same 

hour on July 6, the island shifted about 100 feet.

During the next few days, as the islands increased in height they 

occasionally became unstable. The lower part on the side toward 

the fountain was prevented from building, and even eaten away, by 

the fluid lava surging against it, and as the upper part accumulated 

more and more spatter, the face toward the fountain became very 

steep, or even overhanging. Sometimes this unstable condition was 

relieved by the steep face slumping off, but at other times the entire 

island leaned slowly fountainward, rocked majestically in the surge, 

and eventually rolled slowly over.

On the afternoon of July 7 an arcuate rampart of spatter 150 feet 

long and 20 feet high had formed on the east side of the principal 

fountain, and a similar one on the southwest side. By July 9 the 

substratum of the lake had become sufficiently firm to consistently 

support the accumulations of spatter that built around the fountains, 

and the principal phase of cone building began. By July 10 the cone 

surrounding the main central fountain was 30 to 50 feet high, and 

lava streams were spilling through gaps in it eastward and northward. 

The average height of the fountain within the cone was about 50 feet, 

but some bursts were as high as 200 feet. Southwest of the main 

fountain, smaller fountains were building a row of low spatter cones.

On July 5 a steep-sided wall of spatter, known as a lava ring (Daly, 

1914, p. 135) started to form around the edge of the lava lake, and by 

July 6 the lake stood about 10 feet above the surrounding bench
68 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

(pis. 5, 6). At the southwest edge of the crater floor a small, nearly 

circular lake 300 feet across behaved somewhat independently from 

the main lake. This southwest lake was fed by the large southwest, 

fountain at the site of the former sinkhole, and by a group of smaller 

associated fountains. Commonly, the smaller fountains were arranged 

along an arc concave to the northeast extending northwestward about 

75 feet from the large fountain. The southwest lake was enclosed 

in its own lava ring, and on the morning of July 6 stood about 10 feet 

above the level of the main lake.

Occasional overflows of the main lake and the southwest lake sent 

tongues of lava onto the marginal bench. These overflows gradually 

raised the level of the bench. As the eruption progressed it became 

evident, however, that only a small part of the rise of the marginal 

bench was the result of overflow of lava onto its surface. Even when 

no overflow occurred, the bench rose at a rate approximately equal 

to the rise of the central lava lake. Obviously the rise of the bench 

must have been caused largely by the addition of plastic material beneath it. This may have resulted from an isostatic adjustment whereby the increasing depth of the lake caused the still-mobile substratum 

to flow outward and elevate the bench a process that was really 

nothing more than the tendency of a fluid mass, however viscous, to 

assume a uniform surface level.

On July 12 the cone around the main central fountain was about 

60 feet high, and lava rivers spilled from it eastward and westward 

to feed the main lava lake. Another cone was forming around a 

slightly smaller fountain about 300 feet farther southwest. From 

this cone a lava stream escaped southward, then turned northeastward 

to join the lava from the larger fountain. This circulation remained

the same for several days (fig. 16). The southwestern pool was a trilft 

independent lava lake, with a constant sinkhole at its northeast edge

around a permanent fountain, and a gradual outward movement of 

the lava all over the surface from the source fountains to the edge. 

Occasional crustal foundering and marked downflow occurred at other 

points around the rim, followed by evanescent rim fountains.

During the next few days the two central cones increased in diameter until by July 14 they coalesced, although the southern fountain

pit remained isolated from the larger northern one (fig. 16). On.

July 17 the Wall between the tWO pits broke down, and the central

Gone became a single structure with a fountain pit elongated southwestward and containing both the large central fountains (pi. 5). Flows continued to spill from the central cone southward, westward,

northeastward, and eastward, feeding the surrounding lava lake. 

The lake had an area of 30 acres, and was very active. Currents of 

lava moved outward from the gaps in the cone to the edge of the lake,
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES' DURING 1952 69

Cinder cone Talus

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Lava fountains Slump scarp

FIGURE 16. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau crater on July 16,1952.

where they plunged downward, carrying with them fragments of the 

crust. Crustal engulfment occurred occasionally at any point on the 

lake surface, but was most common at two general locations: the edge 

of the lake, and along lines where flows from different gaps in the conemerged. The engulfment of each large crust fragment was followed, 

by small short-lived fountains. At the edge of the lake the accumulation of spatter from these fountains built the lava ring, which in 

succeeding weeks confined the liquid of the lake at a level as much 

as 20 feet above the adjacent marginal bench.

On July 15 a small fountain at the north edge of the southwest 

lake had built a beehive-shaped cone 30 feet high. The southwest
70 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

fountains had, however, become very weak, and on July 16 the main 

lake overflowed into the southwest lake (fig. 16). The southwest 

fountains again became strong on July 18, and continued active 

until July 22. On July 23, however, they became small and sporadic, and after July 24 they disappeared, leaving the south lake 

as a lobe of the main lake fed by lava streaming southward from 

the central fountains.

A general overflow of the main lava lake began at 12h 15m on July 

20, and continued until midnight. Flows moved outward across 

the bench to, or nearly to, the crater walls on the northwest, north, 

and northeast sides. This completed the obliteration of the cones

A369O

500 1000 Feet

Contour interval IOO feet

QQtum is mean sea level

Fountain Path of

moving island

Spoiler Cone segment Boundary

between flows

FIGURE 17. Map showing conditions in Halemaiimau on July 25,1952.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 71

at the former northeast sinkhole and at the foot of the northeast; 

talus, which had already been partly destroyed through collapse and 

burial by new lava.

By July 25 the gaps in the northern and eastern sides of the cone had. 

become much enlarged (fig. 17), partly by fraying away of the cone 

walls along the edges of the powerful lava rivers that poured out of 

the central fountain pit (pis. 6, 7), and partly by an actual outward 

movement of the cone segments themselves. Persistent fumaroles 

developed at the lava ring along the eastern side of the lake (pi. 7).

On July 29 several small flows issued along the edge of the bench 

at, or near, the wall of the crater. The molten lava apparently rose 

along the boundary of the new lava plug in the bottom of the crater. 

These lava flows were the first of several similar flows occurring at 

intervals during the remainder of the eruption.

Activity continued essentially the same until August 7. The 

average size of the central fountains decreased to about 40 feet, but 

their explosiveness increased somewhat, and occasional explosive 

bursts reached great heights. Northrup Castle reported that, about 

midnight on August 5, one explosive burst from the fountain farthest 

north reached a level above the rim of the crater. Similar bursts 

were observed at 19h45m on August 6 and 20h30m on August 7. 

These bursts reached a height of about 550 feet. The greater explosiveness may have resulted from some increase in viscosity of the 

escaping lava. A gradual decrease in the amount of lava being 

poured out caused a retreat of the margins of the lava lake, which 

between August 1 and 7 moved inward 50 to 75 feet.

The cone reached its maximum development early in August. On 

August 11 it was 65 feet high, and about 800 feet in basal diameter.

DECLINING PHASE OF THE ERUPTION, AUGUST 9-NOVEMBER 10

Early in August there began a period of fluctuating but gradually 

decreasing lava output, and apparent decrease in the amount of 

superheat in the lava, with a tendency to increased viscosity and 

clogging of the vents. On August 9 the southern gap in the cone 

became blocked, and the north and northeast lava rivers increased 

greatly in volume, plunging over spectacular cascades as much as 20 

feet high. On August 10 the south river became reestablished, and 

the east river was blocked by a partial collapse of the adjacent cone 

wall. By August 12 the east river was flowing again, but the northeast river had in turn been choked off (fig. 18 and pi. 8). On August 

13 the west and south rivers became inactive. Cessation of the 

south river was followed by draining of the southern lobe of the 

lava lake, leaving a broad basin about 20 feet deep with a nearly 

flat, irregular floor. On August 18 lava overflowed the south wall of 

the cone and reestablished the south river, refilling the basin.
72 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Fountain Cone segment

TF1 [W*\

Spatter

FIGURE 18. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau on August 12, 1952.

From August 11 to 28 there was a progressive but irregular decrease

in the size of the lava fountains. At the same time there was a 

crude alternation in the degree of activity of the two central vents,

the northern vent being more active than the southern one at some

times, and less active at others. This alternation resulted largely

from variations in fountaining at the northern vent, activity at the

southern vent remaining relatively constant.

Early on the morning of August 11 the northern fountain was small

and intermittent, whereas the southern fountain \vas playing constantly to heights of 25 to 50 feet, with occasional bursts as high as 

200 feet. By late morning the northern fountain had again increased
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 73

in height until it slightly exceeded the southern fountain, which 

reached a maximum height of about 50 feet. This increased activity 

continued through August 12 and 13. On August 14 the size of the 

northern fountain gradually diminished, until in early evening it was 

replaced by a row of four tiny fountains playing in the northern 

fountain pit along the line of the original eruptive fissure of June 28. 

The southern fountain remained fairly large, playing to an average 

height of 25 to 30 feet. These conditions continued essentially unchanged until August 18, with the row of fountains in the northern 

pit being replaced by one small sporadic fountain. In spite of this, 

most of the lava liberated apparently came from the northern vent, 

the southern fountain consisted largely of a spattery release of gas. 

On August 19 the northern fountain became totally inactive. It 

resumed weak activity early on August 20, and by August 21 it was 

again vigorous, exceeding the southern fountain in height. On August 

22 the average height of both fountains was about 20 feet, with some 

bursts of glowing ejecta reaching heights of 200 feet.

On August 21 lava ceased flowing from the central cone, and the 

lava lake surrounding the cone had become inactive (pi. 9). On 

August 23 the two fountains were small and sporadic, throwing showers 

of glowing fragments as high as 150 feet. The fountains had built 

beehive-shaped conelets of spatter 20 feet high within the crater of 

the cinder cone, and a nearly circular lava lake about 120 feet in 

diameter had formed almost between the two conelets (fig. 19 and 

pi. 10). This condition persisted throughout the remainder of the 

eruption.

By August 25 activity had become very weak, but on August 29 

was resumed. In early September activity was again spectacular, 

with loud roaring and whistling gas release accompanied by explosive 

bursts that threw showers of glowing cinders to heights of 150 to 200 

feet. On the night of September 2, small glowing spots appeared on 

the floor north and east of the central cinder cone, and by the morning 

of September 3 two flows were issuing at those localities and spreading 

sluggishly over the adjacent floor (fig. 19). The northerly flow was 

fed by a tiny fountain spurting 5 or 6. feet into the air about 400 feet 

north of the north-central conelet.

Throughout the month of September small flows continued to issue 

on the floor of Halemaumau outside the central cinder cone. These 

small flows welled up quietly, with very small fountains at their 

vents, or none at all, and little evidence of gas liberation. Two flows 

that occurred on September 3 have already been mentioned. On 

September 5 another appeared on the floor northwest of the cinder 

cone, and still another issued at the foot of the western wall of Halemaumau. Small flows issued on the floor southeast of the cone on

331163 55 5
74 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

Segment of Spatter conelet 

cfnder cone

900 1000 Feet

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea hvsl

Lava lake Talus

FlOUBE 19, Map showing conditions in Halemaumau on September 3,1952.

September 8, northeast of the cone on September 12 (fig. 20), at the 

western wall on September 16, northwest and northeast of the cone

On September 17, at the foot Of the southwestern wall on September

10-21, and at the foot of the northwestern wall on September 27.

On the night of October 3 a flow broke out at the foot of ctie southwestern wall of Halemaumau and spread rapidly around the edge of.

the crater floor for a distance of 2,200 feet.

Part, o* ttxe tixixo fi-ona September i to 10 there apparently was moderately regular alternation in the strength of actmtv of the two

central vents, the activity of one decreasing while that of the other 

increased (Wentworth, 1953). The common length of the cycle from 

maximum activity of one vent to maximum activity of the other,
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 75

then back to maximum activity of the first, was 4 to 6 hours. Concurrently, there were shorter period changes that affected both vents 

essentially simultaneously. Thus while the general activity of one 

vent was slowly subsiding and that of the other slowly increasing, 

both vents commonly produced unusually big bursts of ejecta either 

at the same instant or within 1 or 2 seconds of each other. On the 

average, however, the northern fountain was distinctly larger than 

the southern one, and the northern vent appeared to be the dominant 

vent. Throughout most or all of this period the flow in the small 

lava lake between the two vents was from north to south, and a secondary fountain at a sinkhole at the south edge of the lake built a 

spatter heap on the south bank.

Contour interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea level

Lava lake Cinder cone

Overflow from lava lake Talus

Spatter conelet

FIGURE 20. Map showing conditions in Halemaumau on September 12,1962.
76 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

From September 10 to 18 the more northerly of the two central 

vents was the more active, and its conelet gradually built up to a 

height of 50 feet, overtopping the rim of the surrounding cinder cone. 

Throughout this period the lava at the surface of the small lava lake 

flowed slowly from the north to the south edge, where it sank, producing fountains 10 to 15 feet high against the south bank. On September 19 the activity of the two conelets became reversed, and the 

southern one became the more active. Simultaneously, the movement of the lava in the lake reversed, rising at the south edge to 

flow northward and sink along the north bank. Spatter from the 

edge fountains and occasional small overflows had built up a low flat 

cone around the lake, the surface of which stood about 20 feet higher 

than the surrounding floor of the crater of the cinder cone.

At Ol h45m on September 20, lava started to spill over the southern 

run of the lake. The overflow increased rapidly in volume, breaking 

down the southern wall of the lava cone containing the lake and sending a main flow over the southern part of the floor of Halemaumau. 

At 10h 12m the northeastern rim of the lake also was overflowed, and 

a second flow spread out to coalesce with the first one east of the 

cinder cone (pi. 11 and fig. 21). The northeastern overflow lasted 

only a few hours, but the southern overflow continued until about 

midnight. This was the most voluminous single outpouring of lava 

after August 22.

On September 22 the northern central vent again became dominant, 

and again the circulation in the lava lake reversed, returning to its 

first direction of movement from north to south. Explosive activity

at the southern conelet ceased entirely and for the remainder of the 

eruption the conelet fumed quietly.

The northern conelet gradually built up to a height of 65 feet, and 

by September 26 its top was nearly sealed over. On that afternoon, 

at about 16h , the top and part of the northeastern side of the conelet 

suddenly were blown off. Charles Bell reported that three or four 

explosive bursts of ejecta reached heights of about 400 feet. This

was accompanied and followed by violent oscillation of the lava in the 

lake, the level of which rapidly dropped about 15 feet. Within a few 

minutes both the lake and the conelet had returned to their normal

state of activity, with bursts from the conelet reaching heights of 100

to 150 feet.

A. similar series of events took place on. tn.e evening of September 27.

At 20h35m a series of about a dozen violent blasts suddenly occurred 

at the north conelet, throwing incandescent cinder to a maximum 

height of about 550 feet. The surface of the lava lake surged violently, and following the explosions its level gradually dropped about

15 feet, revealing glowing grottoes hung with fringes of stalactites in
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 77

Spatter cone Talus

Contour interval 100 Feet 

Datum is mean sea level

FIGURE 21. Map showing conditions In Halemaumau on September 24,1952.

the banks. As on the previous day, activity returned to normal 

within a few minutes.

During the first half of October the lava lake and the north central 

conelet continued active, the latter throwing frequent sporadic showers 

of glowing ejecta to heights of 50 to 100, and rarely 200 feet. On the 

afternoon of October 5 a series of explosive bursts similar to those 

of September 25 and 27 reached a height of 450 feet. Surface circulation in the lava lake continued from north to south. Fountains up 

to 15 feet high formed.along the southern bank where crusts were 

being carried down by the descending liquid, and other smaller fountains appeared from time to tune at the northern edge.

The final marginal flow of the eruption broke out at the foot of the 

southeastern wall of Halemaumau on the afternoon of October 12

331153 55 6
.GENERAL .GEOLOGY

and continued until October 15, eventually extending halfway around 

the crater, a distance of 4,600 feet (fig. 22).

I Throughout the last 2 weeks of October the northern conelet was 

largely sealed over, and only occasional small bursts of glowing frag-f 

ments could be seen. The cloud of gas liberated at the conelet became markedly more conspicuous, denser, and white in contrast to 

the thin bluish fume liberated in earlier stage with a more open vent. 

At night banners of pale-blue or yellowish flame as much as 25 feet long 

flickered over the conelet.'

Confoor interval 100 feet 

Datum is mean sea le-vel

flow

FIQTJBB ffl. Map slowing conditions in Halemaumau o» October 21, 1952.
The end of October brought a brief revival of activity. On the 

night of October 31 the upper part of the northern conelet collapsed, 

decreasing the height of'the conelet from 65 to 35 feet, and big lava 

fountains veneered the outer slopes of the conelet with a thin layer 

of liquid spatter. On the-next night a further collapse of the conelet 

reduced its height to about 25 feet, and broadened its wide-open 

crater to a diameter of about 90 feet. Lava overflowed the crater 

run, completely covering the outer slopes of the conelet and extending 

thin flows to a point just beyond the north edge of the cinder cone. 

On the south side of the conelet the flow spilled into the lava lake. 

With the reopening of the vent the gas cloud became thin and bluish 

again. As throughout much of the eruption, heat from the crater 

caused a convectional rise of the air above it, and condensation formed 

an often conspicuous cap of cumulus cloud two or three thousand feet 

above the crater run.

Another overflow of the conelet, similar to that of November 1, 

occurred at about 22hOOm on November 6 (fig. 23). Within a few 

minutes a thin sheet of lava had covered the slopes of the conelet and 

the adjacent region. The area of the overflow was estimated by 

C. K. Wentworth to be about 5 acres. Throughout the first week of 

November a small lava fountain was visible in the crater of the 

conelet. The fountain was generally only 15 or 20 feet high, but 

it threw spasmodic biursts to heights as great as 150 feet.

The last activity of the lava lake was observed on November 9, 

and the last fountain activity on the morning of November 10.

Considering the eruption to have ended on November 10, its duration was 136 days. Glowing spots continued to be visible in the lava 

lake and north conelet until November 11, and at the south conelet 

and at solfataras on the crater floor northwest and south of the 

big cinder cone until November 18. At. the end of 1952, moderate 

amounts of pale-bluish-gray fume were still issuing at these solfataras.

COMPOSITION OF THE LAVA

The only specimens of the erupted lava recovered are pumice. It 

is basaltic in character, the refractive index of the glass being 1.598 

(±0.003). The chemical composition and norm of the pumice are 

shown on page 81.

The radioactivity of the erupted lava apparently has been low. 

Two samples of pumice ejected the first night of the eruption and at 

06h on July 3, respectively were analyzed by Ivan Barlow and Francis 

Flanagan, of the Geological Survey. Each sample contained less 

than 5 ppm of equivalent uranium.
80 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

A 3690

Spatter cone Talus

Contour interval 100 feet 

Oat urn is mean sea level

Lava-veneered

spatter cone with 

collapsed crater 

in top

FIGURE 23. Map showing conditions In Halemaumau on November 7,1952.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 81

Chemical composition and norm of pumice ejected by Kilauea volcano on June 88,

1952.

[Analyst, Lucille M. Kehl, U. S. Geological Survey]

Norm 

Quartz _--_---_______________ 1. 74

Orthoclase__________________ 2. 78

Plagioclase.__________________ 44. 99

albite (ab42) ... 18. 86 

anorthite (anfi8)__ 26. 13 

Diopside.____________________ 22. 91

wollastonite_ _ _ _ 11.72

enstatite _______ 6. 70

ferrosilite_ _ _ _ _ 4. 49

Hypersthene__________________ 18. 62

enstatite-______ 11. 10

ferrosilite_______ 7. 52

Magnetite________________ 2. 55

Ilmenite.____________________. 5. 17

Apatite. _-------__.__________ .67

Total____-.____________ 99.81

VOLUME OF THE LAVA

The total volume of the new lava poured into Halemaumau during 

the 1952 eruption is approximately 64,000,000 cubic yards, and the 

average thickness is approximately 310 feet. The average depth to 

the crater floor below the visitors' observation area, at the southeastern rim of the crater, was reduced from 770 to 460 feet. Figure 

24 is a cross section of Halemaumau showing progressive stages of 

its filling during the 1952 eruption, and the photographs, plates 12 

and 13 show clearly the great reduction in depth of the crater. Figure

Si02___

Al.Os-.

Ti02 _._.

Fe2 03 _-

FeO...

MgO__

CaO...

Na2 0._

K2 0___

H20+__

H_0___

C02 __.

P2 05 ___

MnO

Chemical Composition

______________________ 50. 1

______________________ 13.83

_______________________ 2.71

______________________ 1.85

-----__-_.____________ 9.59

______________________ 7.10

______________________ 11.29

--_-.--_______________ 2.25

______________________ .53

 _____________________ .09

______________________ . 12

______________________ .00

______________________ .27

__---_____-_____.____ .17

3600

S3400

S3200

3000-

2800

FIGURE 24. Profiles across Halemaumau along line A-A' in figure 25 showing successive levels of the crater 

floor just preceding and during the 1952 eruption. The vertical scale is twice the horizontal.
82 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL 'GEOLOGY

FlGTOE 25. Map Showing successive outlines of tne floor of Halemaumau crater just pr cdlng and. during

the 1952 eruption.

25 shows successive outlines of the floor of Halemaumau, illustrating 

its increase in area during the same period,

Table 10 shows the volume of lava poured into Kilauea caldera

dux-ing successive intervals since 1823, and the average rate of extrusion per year during each of the intervals. The volumes of flank

flows are omitted, partly because they are small compared tO the 

volume of lava erupted within the caldera, and partly because they

may be reciprocal to collapses within the caldera and consequently 

not properly included in the total volume of lava actually liberated. 

The actual rate of extrusion varied widely within each interval, Of 

course, but the column showing average rate per year gives an interesting over-all picture of variations in volcanic activity. The period
HAWAIIAN". VOLCANOE S DUEING 195 2" 83

TABLE 10. Volumes of extruded lava and rates of extrusio'n in Kilauea caldera 

during successive intervals since 1828

Interval

>

1823-32... ................ ...

1832-40.. . ..... -........... .................. ............ ...

1840-46... .......... ............ ............... .............. ........

1846-68-.._ 

1868-86..... ...... .. ....... ....... ........

1886-91--. 

1891-1924... ...... ... ... 

1924-34.. ........ . - 

1934-53-..-.. ..... .....

Total.... . ...... . ..

Volume of 

extruded lava 

(cubic yards)

883,000,000

776,000,000

287,000,000

19,000,000

248, 000, 000

52, 000, 000

106, 000, 000

37, 000, 000

64,000,000

2,472,000,000

Average rate 

of extrusion 

per year 

(cubic yards)

98, 000, 000

97,000,000

48,000,000

1, 500, 000

31, 000, 000

10, 000, 000

3, 200, 000

3, 700, 000

3,400,000

1846-68 is remarkable in that, although activity was nearly always 

present in the caldera, comparatively little lava was added to the 

volume of the caldera fill. Continuous lava-lake activity thus does 

not correlate with the large volume of lava output.

Two facts are obvious from the table. The first is that the activity 

of the volcano, in terms of volume of lava extruded, was much greater 

during the first half of the 19th century than it has been since. The 

second is that if the volume of lava extruded during the 1952 eruption 

is apportioned over the 18-year period since the last preceding eruption, the rate of extrusion per year is nearly the same as it has been 

since 1891. The latter suggests that since 1891 magma available for 

eruption at Kilauea has accumulated at a more or less regular rate, 

regardless of the constancy or frequency of eruption.

The total volume of lava erupted in Kilauea caldera since 1823 is 

approximately 0.98 cubic mile.

BATE OF EXTRUSION OF LAVA

Vertical angles were measured from triangulation stations around 

the edges of Halemaumau crater to selected located points on the 

crater floor from time to time during the eruption. From these the 

altitudes of the individual points and the average altitude of the floor 

were calculated, and by making use of the topographic map of the 

crater the approximate volume of lava added to the crater fill since 

the date of the last previous measurements was obtained. Figure 26 

shows the average daily rate of addition of lava to the crater fill for 

each of these periods.

About 8 million cubic yards of lava was poured into the crater by 

daylight on June 28, most of which probably was extruded before the 

great decrease in activity at 04h . Thus the rate of extrusion for the 

first 4 hours of the eruption probably was on the order of at least 45 

million cubic yards per day. This lava contained a large proportion 

of gas, and loss of gas and cooling resulted hi a shrinkage of the new
84 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY 

8.000,000

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER 

FIGUEE 26. Diagram illustrating the rate of extrusion of lava during the 1952 eruption of Kilauea volcano.

fill of about 1.4 million cubic yards, or nearly 20 percent of the original 

volume. This resulted in a slump scarp averaging about 10 feet high 

encircling the new lava floor about 50 feet in from its edge. The 

proportion of shrinkage was nearly the same as the 18 percent shrinkage estimated by Schulz (1943, p. 743) in the early lavas of the 1940 

eruption of Mauna Loa.

After the first few hours of the eruption the rate of extrusion decreased greatly. For the interval June 28 to July 16 the average 

rate was about 1 million cubic yards daily. Between July 16 and 25 

the rate increased again, to 1.29 million cubic yards daily. After 

that it dropped off fairly regularly, until during the interval from 

August 19 to September 3 there was no appreciable addition to the 

volume of the new fill in Halemaumau. Lava added during that time 

was only enough to compensate approximately for the shrinkage of 

the fill by cooling and loss of gas.

The revival of activity during early September increased the rate 

of extrusion to an average of 0.36 million cubic yards daily between
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 85

September 3 and 24, after which the rate again decreased essentially to 

zero for the period of weak activity from October 23 to the end of the 

 eruption on November 10.

TEMPBEATUEE OF THE EEUPTING LAVA

The temperature of the lava fountains was measured at frequent 

"intervals throughout the first part of the eruption with an optical 

pyrometer of the disappearing-dot type. After August 25 the fountains were too small and sporadic to yield satisfactory readings from 

the distance (1,000 to 2,000 feet) at which it was necessary to work.

Readings on the lava fountains during the first month of the eruption ranged from 1,025° to 1,055°C, the variation depended partly, 

on the amount of volcanic fume and ordinary mist intervening between 

the instrument and the fountains. Readings were not used if the 

amount of fume or mist was appreciable, but even an amount too 

small to be readily detected visually had a pronounced effect on the 

readings at distances of several hundred feet. Only night readings 

were used, as it was found during the 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa 

that readings made during daylight were consistently too high by an 

undeterminable amount (Finch and Macdonald, 1953, p. 74).

The effect on the readings of different distances, from the fountains 

was conspicuous. Those made at a distance of about 1,170 feet from 

the fountain ranged from 25° to 30° higher than those made within a 

few minutes of the same time at a distance of 1,660 feet. This appears unquestionably to have been the result of absorption by small 

amounts of fume and mist between the fountains and the instrument. 

Plotted on a logarithmic scale, the readings at different distances 

determine a curve that indicates the approximate correction to be 

applied to compensate for this distance effect. A correction for 

absorption must also be applied to the readings to obtain the true 

temperature of the incandescent body. The absorption coefficient of 

Hawaiian lavas has not been determined, but it is assumed that the 

correction to be applied is about the same as that (plus 25° at 1,100°C) 

determined by Verhoogen (1948, p. 131) for leucite basanite of 

Nyamuragira volcano in central Africa.

Table 11 lists temperature readings on the main lava fountains and 

miscellaneous readings on other objects, made with the disappearingdot pyrometer. Both the original readings and the values including 

the corrections for distance and absorption are shown. From June 

28 to 30 corrected measurements of the temperature of the main lava 

fountains ranged from 1,105° to 1,115°C. Through July the corrected temperature averaged about 1,102°C, with a range from 1,098° 

to 1,110°. Early in August the average of the corrected readings 

declined rapidly (fig. 27), bringing it to 1,060° by August 23. Al-
86 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

though no satisfactory readings were obtained on the lava fountains 

after August 25, a reading of 1,050°C on a cascade of lava pouring 

from the lake on September 20 suggests that there was. no great decrease in the temperature of the erupting lava through early and 

middle September.

I 170

160

150

140

< 1130 

cc

UJ

I 1120

UJ io I I 10

cc

1100

1090

\

28 

JUNE

^-

'

' ! ' ' 

5

* "

1 1 ' ' ' 1 ' ' 

10 15 

JULY

1 1 ' ' ' ' I i ' 

20 25

' i i | 

30 1

'

^

>

5

V

\

 \

\

\

^

\

10 15 20 25 

 AUGUST

"

1 ' r

30

,

FJOUKE 27. Graph illustrating the decline in temperature of the molten lava in the cores of the principal 

lava fountains during the 1952 eruption of Kilauea.

The temperatures of the lava fountains near the northest edge of 

the lake during late June averaged about 25° lower than those of the 

main fountains in the southwestern part of the lake. Patches of 

incandescent lava near the east edge of the lake on June 28, exposed 

by the blowing away of crust fragments during whirlwinds, yielded 

corrected readings of 1,020°C, about 90° lower than the average of the 

corrected readings on the main lava fountains at the same time. Similar patches of incandescent lava near the southeast edge of the lake 

on July 10 gave corrected readings of 1,010°, and incandescent lava 

pouring over the lava ring at the northeast edge of the lake on July

13 gave a, reading of O8O°. Tk© temperature in small floWS On the

bench outside the lake appeared to be still lower, and the only good

reading, on July 10, gave a corrected value of 930°. The corrected 

reading of 1,073° on the inner walls of the glowing aperture at the 

head of a small flow south of the lake on July 18 may have been higher 

than that of the lava itself because of gas heating of the walls above 

the liquid lava. However, the temperatures of 1,030° and 1,050° 

obtained on lava in cascades at the edge of the lake on August 14 and
HAWAIIAN.\.yOkCANOES . DURING 1952., 87.

September 20 cannot have resulted from gas heating and apparently 

demonstrates the high temperature of the lake lava itself.

During the evenings of Jiily 2-3 an optical pyrometer of the glowingfilament type was operated at Kilauea by Prof. J. J. Naughton, :of the 

Department of Chemistry of the University of Hawaii. The telescope of Naughton's instrument had a higher magnifying power than 

that of the pyrometer used by the writer, and it was possible to focus 

it more precisely on the hbt cores of the lava fountains. It appears 

also that, because of the presence of the graduated wedge, the disappearing-dot type of pyrometer has an integrating effect not present 

to the same degree in the glowing-filament type. In measuring the 

temperature of the lava fountains, the integrating effect results in 

some averaging of the temperature of the hot rising core of the fountain and the cooler ejecta< falling around the edge of the fountain, 

whereas by careful use of the glowing-filament pyrometer it appeared, 

possible to read the temperature of the hottest parts of the fountain 

with relatively little effect from the cooler parts.

After the eruption Naughton calibrated his instrument by running 

a cooling curve on a sample of copper furnished by the Bureau of 

Standards (Naughton, J. J., personal letter, July 24, 1953). Applying 

the correction thus determined, plus a correction of 25° for absorption 

of the lava, 24 readings obtained on the evenings of July 2 and 3 

range from 1,085° to 1,152°C. With the exception of one reading, all 

were more than 1,105°. Twelve of the readings were between 1,135° 

and 1,152°. These presumably were readings on the hottest portions 

of the lava fountains, with relatively little effect from cooler falling 

material. Thus it appears that the true temperature of the hot core 

of the lava fountains was approximately 1,145°C, about 40° higher 

than the temperature determined with the disappearing-dot pyrometer, 

and that a further correction of about 40° probably should be added to 

the corrected temperatures shown in figure 27 and to those for the 

lava fountains listed in table 11. These corrected values also are 

shown in table 11.

In summary, through most of the period of active lava fountaining 

the temperature of the erupting lava in the hot cores of the primary 

fountains was approximately 1,145°C. The temperature may have 

been as high as 1,155° during the first 2 days, possibly because of a 

greater surficial heating effect brought about by oxidation and other 

exothermal shifts in equilibrium in the liberated gases, which were 

more abundant than during later stages of the eruption. After a 

little more than a month of activity the temperature of the primary 

fountains started to decline rapidly, reaching about 1,055° in late 

August. This decline of temperature was synchronous with other
CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

TABLE 11. Temperature measurements made with disappearing-dot pyrometer 

during the 195& eruption of Kilauea

Date

June 28

29

30

July 1

2

3

5

6

7

9

10

12

13

14

15

16

18

20

21

25

29

30

Aug. 2

3

6

7

10

Time

h m

01 40

03 10

04 00

04 10

05 15

05 15

23 30

01 30

01 30

22 30

23 00

23 00

22 50

22 00

22 40

21 00

22 00

23 00

21 25

21 20

21 20

21 20

21 00

22 00

22 00

21 45

22 30

22 00

22 20

20 00

20 30

20 30

20 00

21 00

21 00

20 50

21 10

20 15

21 30

21 00

21 15

21 25

21 00

22 00

23 00

21 00

21 00

21 30

19 45

20 30

21 00

21 30

Distance

from 

object 

(feet)

600

700

1,230

1,850

1,850

1,910

1,910

1,850

1,910

1,660

1,660

1,600

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,000

560

1,660

1,660

1,100

1,660

1,170

1,660

1, 17O

1,660

1,170

1,170

1,660

1,230

800

1,660

1,170

1 §60

1,170

1,660

1,230

1,230

1,170

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,230

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,230

Temperature, °C

Actual 

reading

990

1,045

1,035

1,020

1,020

1,020

1,030

1,000

1,030

1,040

1,035

1,010

1,025

1,025

1,030

1,030

1,028

1,040

1,030

1,030

970

900

1,030

1,030

935

1,030

1,055

1,030

1,055

1,030

1,055

1,055

1,030

1,050

1,038

1,040

1,050

1)030

1,055

1,030

1,045

1,055

1,055

1,040

1,040

1,030

1,030

1,030

1,030

1,030

1,020

1,027

Corrected readings

Corrections 

for distance and absorption

&O.Q6CI

1,020

1,080

1,090

1,100

1,100

1,105

1,115

1,080

1,115

1,115

1,110

1,078

1,095

1,095

1,100

1,100

1,098

1,110

1,100

1,100

1,010

930

1,100

1,100

980

1,100

1,103

1.100

1,103

1,100

1,103

1, 103

1,100

1,105

1,073

1,110

1,098

1,100

1,103

1,100

1,100

1,101

1,103

1,110

1,110

1,100

1,085

1,100

1,100

1,100

1,090

1,082

Correction for inte-' 

grating 

effect of 

disappearing-dot

pyrometer

added

1,020

1,120

1,130

1,140

1,140

1,145

1,155

1,120

1,155

1,155

1,150

1,128

1,135

1,135

1,140

1,140

1,138

1,150

1,140

1, 140

1,010

930

1,140

1,140

980

1,140

1,143

1,140

1, 143

1,140

1,143

1,143

1,140

1,145

1,073

1,150

1,138

1,140

1,143

1,140

1,140

1,141

1,143

1,150

1,150

1,140

1,125

1,140

1,140

1,140

1,130

1,122

Object measured

Glowing apertures in lava lake near

east edge of crater floor.

Lava fountains at northeast edge of

crater floor.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Lava fountains at southwest edge of

crater floor.

Do.

Lava fountains at northeast edge of

crater floor.

Fountains at southwest edge of crater

floor.

Main fountains in southwestern part

of crater floor.

Do.

Fountain at sinkhole in northeastern

cart of crater floor.

Main fountains in southwestern part

of crater floor.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Incandescent lava near southeast edge

of lava lake.

Lava in driblet flow on bench 400 feet

southeast of lake.

Main fountain.

Do.

Lava overflowing northeast edge of

lake.

Main fountain.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Fountains just southwest of main

fountain.

Main fountain.

Do.

Glowing aperture at head of small

flow overflowing bencb soutb of lake.

Main fountain.

Do.

Do,

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

DO.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 89

TABLE 11. Temperature measurements made with disappearing-dot pyrometer 

during the 1952 eruption of Kilauea Continued

Date

Aug. 11

14

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

25

Sept. 20

Time

h m

20 00

20 20

20 30

20 30

20 45

22 45

22 00

20 30

20 40

21 00

21 00

20 30

21 00

21 00

20 00

02 30

Distance

from 

object 

(feet)

1,660

1,230

1,660

950

1,230

1,660

1,660

1, 660

1,230

1,660

1, 660

1,660

1,660

1,660

1,630

1,670

Temperature, °C

Actual 

reading

1,010

1,018

1,005

990

1,020

995

998

1,000

1,008

1,000

995

1,000

990

990

990

980

Corrected readings

Corrections 

for distance and absorption 

added

1,080

1,073

1,075

1,030

1,075

1,005

1,008

1,070

1,063

1,070

1,065

1.070

1,080

1,060

1, 000

1.050

Correction 

for integrating 

effect of 

disappearing-dot 

pyrometer

added

1,120

1,113

1,115

1,030

1,115

1,105

1,108

1,110

1,103

1,110

1,105

1,110

1,100

1,100

1,060

1,050

Object measured.

Main fountain.

Do.

Do.

Lava in rapid overflow at southeast

edge of lake.

Main fountain.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Glowing throat of northern conelot at

site of main fountain.

Lava in cascade pouring southward

out of lake.

changes in activity, particularly an apparent increase in viscosity of 

the fluid lava. Temperatures at the surface of the lava lake generally 

were close to 1,005°.

These determinations agree reasonably well with earlier ones, both 

at Kilauea and at Mauna Loa. During the 1950 eruption of Mauna 

Loa the writer obtained corrected temperature readings of 1,050° to 

1,090°C in the lava river near the active vents, and 1,080° to l,100a 

on a dome-shaped fountain in the lava river near the vents (Finch and 

Macdonald, 1953, p. 75). The dome-shaped fountain was a primary 

fountain, but because it was exploding through the river it consisted! 

partly of the already somewhat cooled lava of the river, and the 

temperature of the erupting lava undoubtedly was somewhat above 

1,100°. In 1911 a measurement of 1,000° was obtained by Shepherd 

and Ferret at a depth of 2 feet below the surface of the Kilauea lava 

lake (Shepherd, 1912, p. 51). During 1917, using Seger cones, Jaggar 

(1917, p. 398) obtained measurements of 1,000° at the surface of the 

lava lake, 910° to 960° in the zone from 1 to 5 meters below the surface, 

and below the 5-meter depth gradually increasing temperatures reaching a maximum of 1,170° at a depth of 13 meters, near the bottom of 

the lake. The latter temperature was regarded as somewhat higher 

than that of the magma rising through the conduits.
90 COWRfBltJTIOtfS' TOT

'^ VISCOSITY OF THE .LAVA :

Because of its location deep in the crater of Halemaumau, it was 

not possible to approach near the liquid lava. Therefore no direct 

measurements of its viscosity could be attempted. A few observations on the speed of flow in narrow channels can be used, however, 

to obtain an approximation of the coefficient of viscosity. Several 

factors not known from actual measurements must be assumed in the 

calculations, and it is emphasized that the resulting figures represent 

only orders of magnitude.

Wentworth, Carson, and Finch (1945) have shown that under ordinary circumstances the flow of Hawaiian lava in narrow feeding 

channels is laminar in character. Therefore the Jefferys formula for 

laminar flow (Nichols, 1939, p. 294) can be used in the calculation of 

the viscosity. The formula is

T7 gsmAcPp V== 3^ '

where V is the mean velocity of flow, g is the coefficient of gravity, 

A is the angle of slope, d is the depth of the flowing liquid, p is the 

specific gravity of the liquid, and n is the coefficient of viscosity, 

expressed in cgs units. Two of the factors in the formula are not 

known from direct measurement, namely the depth of the flowing 

liquid, and its specific gravity. In the following calculations the specific gravity of dense Hawaiian basaltic liquid probably is about 2.65, 

and vesicularity of the liquid probably seldom is as much as 25 

percent.

On August 10 measurements were made of the speed of movement 

of the liquid in the river draining northward out of the cinder cone,

where it plunged over the cascade at the edge of the cone. The 

lengtn of time required for fragments of crust near the centerline of

the stream to move over a length of stream determined by scaling

from the planetable map was measured with a stopwatch. The average of 20 readings gave a speed of 300 cm per sec (approximately 10

feet). The slope of the cascade surface was approximately 20°. A 

depth of 2 meters for the liquid stream is assumed, because the western 

river, otherwise of similar dimensions, was shown to be about the 

same as when it was drained a day or two earlier. The width of the

river was about 25 feet. Applying the Jefferys formula to these

figures, the value obtained for the viscosity is approximately 2.0X10* 

poises.

On August 12 an average of 55 readings with the stopwatch gave

a Speed of 588 cm per sec for the lava in the cascade draining eastward 

from the cinder cone. The slope of the cascade surface was approximately 29°, and again the depth of the liquid was assumed to be 2
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 91

meters. The calculation yields a value for the viscosity of approximately 2.2X104 poises.

 On August 13, 20 readings of the speed of the lava in the east 

cascade yielded an average of .549 cm per sec. The height ef the 

cascade was 15 feet, its length was 27 feet, and its surface slope was 

therefore approximately 25°. Assuming a depth of 2 meters, the 

viscosity of the liquid is found to be approximately 1.9 X10* poises. 

On the same day measurements on the southern cascade indicated its' 

height to be 15 feet, its length 45 feet, its surface slope approximately 

18° 30', and the speed of flow of the lava at the central part of the 

surface of the stream approximately 200 cm per sec. Assuming the 

depth of the stream to be 2 m, calculation indicates the viscosity of 

the liquid to be approximately 3.8X104 poises.

These calculated viscosities are somewhat greater than those calculated for Mauna Loa lavas at the vents during the 1940, 1942, and 

1950 eruptions, where the values determined ranged from 3X103 to 

4X103 poises (Macdonald, 1954, p. .171-173). The writer believes, 

however, that the viscosity of the lava in the fountain pits and cascades on August 10-13, 1952, was somewhat greater than that during 

earlier phases of the Kilauea eruption. A distinct change in character 

of the activity occurred during early August, the fountains becoming 

more violently explosive and the flows assuming a more viscous appearance. This apparent increase of viscosity of the erupting lava 

accompanied the marked decrease in temperature of the lava fountains in early August. The viscosity during earlier phases of the 

eruption probably was about the same as that of the lava at the vents 

during Mauna Loa eruptions.

THE LAVA FOUNTAINS

Fountains in the lava lake were of two distinct classes. Those of 

the first class, which may be termed "primary" fountains, form over 

vents where lava and gases are rising from depth. "Secondary" 

fountains, in contrast, form at any place on the lake surface where 

fragments of crust are dragged downward into the liquid. These two 

classes of fountains were recognized by Jaggar (1917a, p. 194-201) in 

the Halemaumau lake many years ago, and have since been observed 

elsewhere (Verhoogen, 1948, p. 80).

Primary fountains are stationary, commonly much larger than secondary fountains, and tend to be longer-lived. They appear to result 

partly from pressure of liquid in the conduit, and partly from the 

mildly explosive escape of gas. In extreme instances they may attain 

heights as great as 800 feet, or more. They are essentially similar to 

the fountains at the source of Mauna Loa flows or flank flows of 

Kilauea, where no lava lake is present. The secondary fountains
92 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

probably result from the escape of gas (both volcanic gas and air) 

that was imprisoned in the fragments of solid or semisolid lava crust 

that are dragged downward into the hot underlying liquid wherever 

a downward circulation is established. This can occur anywhere on 

the lake surface, but is commonest at the edge of the lake and along 

lines where bodies of liquid moving outward from different fountain 

sources meet. Those formed at long-lived sinkholes are constant in 

position and often more or less continuous for long periods, but those 

formed at points of temporary crustal foundering on the lake surface 

are short-lived and commonly shift in position as the lake circulation 

moves the sunken fragment of crust. Fountains of the second type

we the "trayeling fountains" recorded by many early observers at

Kilauea. Secondary fountains at well-established sinkholes may 

reach heights as great as 25 feet, or a little more, but most are less 

than 10 feet high, and many are less than 3 feet. Secondary fountains, 

are not entirely restricted to true lava lakes. They can form on any 

thinly crusted pool of fluid lava. Such fountains were observed on 

the slowly spreading pond of lava near the source cone during the 1940 

eruption of Mauna Loa (Macdonald, 1954, p. 131). A strong downward circulation often is established in the lake immediately around 

primary fountains, and such fountains may then become compound 

in character, the effect of gas liberated from the sinking crusts being 

added to the primary fountaining.

THE LAVA LAKE

To be of maximum usefulness, the term "lava lake" should be

defined in such a manner as to distinguish such lakes from the pondsthat accumulate wherever fluid lava is poured into a depression. It is 

here proposed to define a lava lake as a reasonably long-lived pool of 

highly fluid lava formed around or in direct association with vents

from -which the lava is rising from deep -within the earth, and in which 

a distinct system of circulation has been established.

Throughout the 1952 eruption of Kilauea the lava lake appeared

to be essentially a broad, shallow pool of liquid stirred by convection

currents and the turbulence caused by the lava fountains. During

the first hours of the eruption the lake was about 2^200 feet across 

and as much as 50 feet deep, presumably floored by the solid lava

and talus that formed the bottom of Halemaumau crater before the

ei-u. j> tlon. Tn_ij:-~t>xj_lo:noe ott/usecl t>y tlie lixvo, fo nxi toxins sot xijp txirixins of

waves that swept across the surface of the lake and surged against 

the crater walls. These waves apparently were oscillatory in nature,

except for rare "breakers" in the immediate vicinity of violent fountains. They generally were about 3 to 5 feet high and had a wavelength of about 50 feet. Study of moving pictures taken during
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 93

the first night of the eruption indicates that the speed of the waves, 

was about 25 feet per second. Within an hour of the outbreak the 

convective circulation was already well-established, with the lava 

moving outward from the source fountains across the surface of tho 

lake to its edges, where it sank, dragging with it fragments of the 

quickly formed crust.

As the eruption progressed, the lava lake became smaller, and apparently also shallower. Early on the morning of June 28 it covered 

the entire crater floor, and had an area of approximately 100 acres. 

A bench of solid and semisolid crust formed around the edge of the 

crater which gradually reduced the size of the lake until by July 1 it 

had an area of 70 acres. Continued growth of the bench further restricted the lake, but about July 15 the tendency for reduction of 

the lake through cooling and formation of the crustal bench became 

approximately balanced with the rate of heat supply, and the size of 

the lake became stabilized. From mid-July to early August the area 

of the lake was approximately 34 acres. Accompanying the decreasein temperature and increase in viscosity of the lava in early and midAugust, there occurred a drastic decrease in the size of the lava lake, 

and during the remainder of the eruption the lake was a tiny pool 

with an area of only 0.2 acre.

There is little direct evidence as to the depth of the lake. Through 

most of its existence, particularly during the period from mid-July to 

mid-August, the lake was confined in a lava ring built by the accumulation of spatter from many secondary fountains at the edge. During 

that period the liquid surface of the lake stood 5 to 15 feet higher than 

the bench around it. Presumably the depth of the liquid was at 

least as great as the height of the enclosing lava ring, but observation 

of the lake gave a definite impression that the depth probably was not 

much greater than the height. Fluctuations of liquid level in the lake 

were small, seldom exceeding 5 feet. On July 5, however, the liquid 

in the pool around the southwestern fountain suddenly lowered about 

10 feet, then rose again to its former level, indicating that the total 

normal depth of the liquid was more than 10 feet.

On July 29 and 30 the speed of travel of waves in the fountain pit 

within the cinder cone was determined with a stopwatch to be 17 feet, 

per second. The observed wavelength was about 50 feet, and the 

period of the waves was 3.3 seconds. Within the limits of probable 

error of the observations, these waves behaved approximately as. 

though they were short waves, the speed of which is unaffected by 

depth of water (Sverdrup, Johnson, and Fleming, 1946, p, 519). If 

so, the depth of the liquid must have been greater than half the 

wavelength, or more than 25 feet. This depth, however, was in the831168 65 7
94 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

central fountain pit, and may not be any indication of the depth of the 

lake surrounding the cone.

On August 15 the southern lobe was drained, leaving an irregular 

basin having an average depth of about 20 feet. The floor consisted 

of fairly smooth, much cracked pahoehoe. The fluid lava apparently 

drained into the underlying rock, but there were no obvious sinkholes. 

The actual drainage was not observed, but took place within a few 

hours. The foregoing lines of evidence suggest that the highly 

fluid part of the lake had a depth on the order of 25 or 30 feet. 

Jaggar (1917a, p. 217) showed the depth of the Halemaumau lava 

lake to be about 50 feet in January 1917.

The Compound nature Of the mass of mobile lava in Halemaumau 

was demonstrated long ago by Jaggar (1917a). The true lake of 

highly mobile lava (the "pyromagma" of Jaggar) is underlain by a 

mass of semisolid, but still mobile, lava (the "epimagma"). This 

semisolid bottom of epimagma is believed to be formed by the accumulation and partial remelting of sunken crusts of the lava lake, and 

perhaps partly directly by degassing and partial solidification of the 

pyromagma. It moves partly with, and partly independently of, the 

lake of pyromagma. Evidence for its existence was shown during 

the 1952 eruption by islands that behaved independently of the 

surrounding lake lava. Segments of the cinder cone shifted laterally 

through distances of tens of feet, although the rise and fall of the 

liquid level around them demonstrated that they were projecting 

parts of the lake bottom, essentially independent of the surrounding 

liquid. The most spectacular example of the shifting of an island 

occurred on July 25, when a small island at the northwest edge of the 

fountain pit suddenly started to move, at about 14b 30m, and during 

the succeeding 2# hours moved eastward across the fountain pit for 

a distance of 560 feet (fig. 17).

Further evidence of the continued, mobility of the lower part Of the

new fill was shown in the gradual rise of the crater floor even where no

new overflows of liquid lava occurred. Thus from July 28 to 30 the

floor of solidified lava at the northwest edge of the crater rose approximately 8 feet, lifting With it the neap of debris that W been deposited

on it by a small landslide on July 28. Still further evidence was the

movement of tKe solidified, surficial lava toward the crater wall,

resulting in crumpling and buckling of fte CITlStj OQ(1 tuC foimfttiOn 

01 long pressure ridges parallel to the wall.

There apparently is little question of the recirculation of much of

tK© lake lava.. -A-t aiff ex-en t dates C8timat6S W6I6 matfC Ol tll6 QllllOllIlt)

of lava being poured into the lake through gaps in the cone walls. 

This amount greatly exceeded the rate of increase of the total mass 

filling the creater, as determined by repeated measurements.. ..Thus
-HAWAIIAN'VOLCANOES DURING 1952 95

on July 27 it was estimated that approximately 6.4 million cubic 

yards daily of molten lava was being poured into the lake. At the 

.same time the rate of increase of volume of the total crater fill was 

only about 0.8 million cubic yards daily. Again on August 13, lava 

was being poured into the lake from the central cone at a rate estimated to be about 13 million yards daily, while the average rate of 

increase of the total crater fill was only 0.43 million cubic yards daily. 

Thus, allowing for considerable error in the estimates of volume 

of lava being poured into the lake, and for about 25 percent shrinkage

 of the lava by cooling and loss of gas, it is obvious that the amount of 

lava being added to the> lake was disproportionately greater than 

that being added to the crater fill. This excess must be accounted 

for by circulation of the lake lava either back down into the conduit, 

or back across the bottom of the lake to the fountains, where it is 

again thrown into the air and poured out of the cone into the surrounding lake. Possibly both occur. During the early days of the eruption large sinkholes lay at the southwest edge and in the northeastern 

part of the crater floor, directly above the erupting fissure, suggesting 

& return of the liquid downward into the conduit. A similar return 

may have gone on during later phases of the eruption from the lower 

part of the lake, through the epimagma bottom into the conduit,

 without causing obvious disturbance at the lake surface. In some 

.respects this appears more likely than return of the lava across the

 .floor of the lake to be reused in the fountains. It is difficult to picture 

tthe manner in which the returning bottom circulation in the lake 

<could reenter the central cinder cone. Also, repeated reuse of the 

same lake lava by the fountains produces a difficult heat-loss problem. 

The lava cooled in the fountains and during its circulation through 

,the lake would have to be reheated by superheat in the relatively 

;,small amount of rising new liquid and gas, and by exothermic reactions, 

rprobably largely in the gas phase. It is shown hi another section that 

ithe weight proportion of gas liberated is small, and it is unlikely that

 either superheat or exothermic reactions would be adequate to reheat 

.the circulating liquid. More probably the excess cool lava returns 

into depth in the downward moving phase of a convectional circulation 

in the magma conduit.

It is noteworthy that the direction of movement in major sinkholes 

occasionally becomes reversed, and fountains form where the lava had 

previously been sinking. During the 1952 eruption the largest 

(fountains after the first few hours of activity developed for short 

intervals at the site of the major southwest sinkhole. Similarly,

 persistent fountains may be transformed into sinkholes.

From late August until the end of the eruption the lake appeared 

tto be somewhat different in character from the lake of earlier stages.
96 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

It was very small, only about 100 feet in diameter, and situated' 

nearly between the two spatter conelets that marked the principal 

vents. Some variations in the relative strength of activity of the 

two vents occurred over short periods of a few hours, but during most 

of the period the northern vent was the more active, and circulation 

at the surface of the lava lake was from north to south. Lava welled 

up gently at and near the northern edge of the lake and moved 

southward to sink along the south edge, accompanied by secondary 

fountains. Some sinking and secondary fountaining occurred at the 

other edges also, but it was much less marked than that at the south 

edge. Sudden brief subsidences of the lake on September 25 and 27 

lowered the surface of the liquid 15 to 20 feet, but did not completely 

empty the basin. Only at the end of the eruption was the bashl 

completely drained, leaving a pit about 25 feet deep, floored by broken 

and tilted slabs of pahoehoe.

For the most part, the vent south of the lake was much less active 

than the northern vent. Occasional fountaining occurred at the 

south vent, but the fountains were on the whole much smaller than 

those of the northern vent, and especially during the late part of the 

eruption most of the time its activity was restricted to fuming. The 

volume of fume liberated at the south vent generally appeared much 

greater than that at the north vent, and was dense and white, as 

contrasted to thin bluish-gray fume from the north vent.

On September 19 the principal fountain activity shifted from the 

northern to the southern vent, and simultaneously the direction of 

fiowage in the lava lake reversed, with lava rising at the south edge, 

moving northward across the Jake surface, and sinking at the north 

edge. A large-scale overflow of the lake occurred on September 20, 

but was over by midnight of that date. The southern vent continued 

more active than the northern one until September 22, and throughout 

that period the lava in the lake flowed from south to north. On

September 22 the northern vent again became the more active, and

the direction of lava movement again reversed, with surface fiowage 

from, north, to south.. Visible lava activity ceased altogether at the

southern vent. During the remainder of the eruption the southern

vent fumed quietly, but fountain activity continued at the northern 

vent, and lava movement in the lake was from north to south.

Thus from late August to early November the dlrCCtlOn Of IUOY6"' 

lllfint Ol lava in me lake was consistently from the more active of the

two vents toward the least active. Conditions during this period are

as being somewhat as shown in figure 28. Liquid IftVft 1*086"

a COnduit penetrating the Semisolid to solid epimagma, moved

laterally for about 300 feet, and then sank through another conduit.. 

Active primary fountaining took place at a vent above the conduit in;
97

FIGURE 28. Diagram illustrating the relationship of the fountaining vents and the small lava lake to 

Halemaumau during September and October, 1952.

which the lava was rising. Less active fountaining, probably at least 

in part, and perhaps entirely, of secondary character, occurred at a 

vent above the descending conduit. Through part of its lateral course 

the liquid lava was exposed at the surface, to form the lava lake. The 

cause of reversal of the direction of circulation from September 19 

to 22 is not known, but undoubtedly is related to the similar reversals 

in the activity at the southwest sinkhole during earlier stages of the 

eruption. Possibly gases released from engulfed fragments of crust 

accumulated in the descending limb of the circulation system to the 

point where the lava in the descending column was lighter than that 

in the ascending column, causing a reversal in the direction of 

movement.

THE FUME CLOUD

Little is known of the chemical composition of the gas released 

during the eruption. Pale-bluish and yellowish flames played above 

the vents throughout the eruption, but attempts to get spectrograms 

were unsuccessful. In color, the blue flames were not unlike those 

produced by burning hydrogen, but neither were they markedly 

unlike those of burning sulfur. Atmospheric contamination of the 

gas cloud was so great by the time it reached the crater rim that it was 

not considered worthwhile to sample it for chemical analysis.

Commonly the gas cloud issuing from the fountains was paleyellowish-brown. It has been suggested by R. E. Fosberg (oral communication) that this pale-brown color may have been caused by 

colloidal sulfur. Within a few feet of the top of the fountains the 

cloud changed to a pale-bluish-gray. The change was completed 

within 100 feet of the fountain top, and generally within much less
98 CONTRIBUTIONS TO. GENERAL GEOLOGY

than that. The change was gradual, and its appearance suggested 

some chemical reaction. The most probable reaction to bring about 

the change seems to be the oxidation of sulfur to SO2 as it mixes with 

the air. Turbulence resulted in an admixture of the brown and bluishgray fume in irregular streaks in the zone of transition.

The bluish-gray fume gave no olfactory evidence of anything but 

SC>2, the odor of which was exceedingly strong at the leeward edge of 

the crater. Steam clouds from talus near the floor of the crater 

evaporated as they rose, and disappeared generally within 40 feet of 

the vents from which they issued. The bluish-gray fume did not 

appear to evaporate, but rather to become more and more diluted 

ontil it faded from sight. If water were present in the fume cloud, as 

it probably was, it apparently did not condense into visible steam. 

Neither was there any sign of condensation on cold objects within; 

the cloud. It is noteworthy that the cap of cumulus cloud that 

commonly forms at the top of the fume column over the crater could 

well result entirely from condensation of water vapor in the rising 

humid warm air. Results of the analysis of samples of gas from the 

Halemaumau lava lake collected in earlier years indicate with fair 

certainty that water vapor must be an important part of the fume 

cloud, whether or not it is one of the primary gases released from the 

rising magma (Shepherd, 1921; Jaggar, 1940). The lack of condensation of steam in the cloud must, therefore, be attributed to some factor 

other than the absence of water possibly to the "drying" effect of SO2 .

The average composition, in volume percent at 1,200°C, of 14 

samples of gas collected by Jaggar from the Halemaumau lake in 1919

and analysed by E. S. Shepherd (1921), is shown below.

H,0

CO

70 75

14.07

. 40

,33

N

A____.____

SO2 ________

______ 5.45

______ . 18

__ _ 6. 40

S _ ____ 

Cl ___ __ ______

.10

1. 92

. 05

It is reasonable to assume that the gases liberated during the 1952 

eruption were about the same in composition. If so, a calculation of

their approximate amount relative to the amount of lava liberated can

be made. The calculation involves certain assumptions; namely, the 

average analysis of the 1919 collections as the composition of the 

liberated gases, their behavior as perfect gases, the vesicularity of the 

solidified lava, the amount of atmospheric dilution of the rising gas

elou-cl, ancl tKe temperature of tKe rising gfts cloud. Because probably

none of these assumptions are exact, the results of the calculation

must be regarded as indicating only the order of magnitude of the

ratio between the gas and the solidified phase of the erupted magma.

On July 27 the rate of rise of the gas cloud just above the main

fountains in Halemaumau was approximately 12 meters per second,
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 99

and the volume of the rising cloud was approximately 16,800 cubic 

meters per second. If the amount of atmospheric dilution of the 

cloud was 50 percent, the volume of magmatic gas liberated was 

approximately 8,400 cubic meters per second. Assuming the temperature of the cloud to be 1,000°C and the gases to behave as perfect 

gases, the number of moles of gas liberated per second can be calculated to have been approximately 72,362. If the gases had the same 

composition as those collected in 1919, the weight of gas liberated 

was approximately 1,881 kilograms per second. At the same time, 

the volume of lava issuing through rivers from the central cone was 

estimated to be 4,864,000 cubic meters (6.4 million cubic yards) daily, 

or approximately 56 cubic meters per second. If vesicularity of the 

lava was 25 percent, and the specific gravity of the dense lava is 

assumed to be 2.94 (Washington, 1923, p. 342), the weight of dense 

liberated lava was approximately 123,480 kilograms per second, and 

the proportion of gas in the escaping lava was approximately 0.15 

percent by weight. If, on the other hand, the volume of gas is 

considered in relation to the average rate of increase of volume of 

the crater fill at that date, the proportion of gas by weight was 

approximately 8 percent.

The true gas content of the primary magna no doubt was somewhere 

between these figures, though probably nearer 0.15 percent. If the 

lava escaping at the fountains consisted partly of reused lava that 

had already been largely degassed during a former passage through 

the lake, the gas content of the primary portion of the liberated lava 

may have been twice (or even more) as great as that calculated. At 

any rate, the order of magnitude of the proportion of gas to dense 

lava appears to have been similar to that (0.4 percent by weight) 

calculated for the erupting magma of Mauna Loa on April 12, 1940 

(Macdonald, 1954, p. 136-140).

During the first few hours of the eruption the proportion of gas 

liberated appeared to be notably greater than during later stages. A 

huge fume cloud rolled from Halemaumau crater and blanketed the 

entire southern part of Kilauea caldera, and alarge amount of pumice was 

ejected. The volume of the rising gas cloud just above the fountains 

is estimated to have been about 30,000 cubic meters per second, and 

if the proportion of atmospheric dilution is again assumed to be 50 

percent, the volume of volcanic gas being liberated at the fountains 

was about 15,000 cubic meters per second. Some gas was given off 

over the rest of the surface of the lake, and some was retained in 

vesicles hi the lava, but the amount is difficult to estimate and at any 

rate was so small in comparison to the amount liberated at the fountains that it would not appreciably alter the results of the calculation. 

If the other assumptions be made as in the calculation for July 27,
100

the weight of gas liberated was about 3,360 kilograms par second. 

During the same period the rate of lava extrusion was approximately 

70.4 cubic meters per second, corresponding to approximately 153,056 

kilograms of dense lava, and the proportion of gas in the erupting 

magma was approximately 2.1 percent by weight. In comparison, it 

has been calculated that the gas content of the erupting magma on 

the opening day of the 1940 eruption of MaunaLoa was approximately 

0.9 percent by weight (Macdonald, 1954, p. 139). Because of the 

uncertainty in the estimates of volume of both lava and gas, and in 

the other assumptions, it is clear that neither figure should be regarded 

as more than an order of magnitude. They do, however, serve to 

demonstrate with some certainty that the weight proportion of volatiles to liquid and solid phases in the erupting magma is very small. 

The volume relationships are just the reverse. The total volume of 

the fume cloud is immensely greater than that of the solidified lavas.

EARTHQUAKES PRECEDING AND ACCOMPANYING THE ERUPTION

Early in April a series of earthquakes commenced on the east rift 

zone of Kilauea volcano. Thirty-three of these yielded records good 

enough to permit at least approximate determinations of their epicenters. The epicenters for which fair or good determinations are 

available are shown in figure 5. They are scattered from the vicinity 

of the caldera to a point about 8 miles southwest of Pahoa. This 

earthquake activity was accompanied by a northward tilting of the 

ground surface at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology of 1.5 

seconds (during a season in which the normal tilting is about the

same amount southward) indicating an increase of magmatic pressure 

beneath Kilauea.

Seismographs at Kilauea caldera recorded 157 earthquakes during 

May. A few quakes continued to emanate from the region south, of

the island, but most originated at small depths in the vicinity of

Kilauea caldera and along the east rift zone near the caldera. Others,

including one strongly felt at Naalehu and Kapapala at 17h 13m on

May 21, originated on the Kaoiki fault system between Mauna Loa

and Kilauea. Quakes with foci on the known trace of the Kaoiki 

fault system and its hypothetical extension northeastward (Macdonald, 1951, p. 3) continued during June. These movements on the

KaoiKi faults may naye been vertical adjustments resulting from tne

swelling of ICiia/u.oa. -volo*m-o TTI. response to tt».o in.oresfi.se of jDir-essni-o

On June 19 three quakes occurred on the southwest rift zone of

Kilauea between Miaunaiki and. Ponohohoa (fig. 5). Throughout

June many quakes originated beneath ine caldera and its immediate 

vicinity. All were of shallow origin, and most were very small.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 101

Between June 19 and the time of the outbreak on June 27, seismographs at Kilauea caldera recorded 84 such quakes.

Thus there was a definite seismic uneasiness of Kilauea volcano 

during the 3 months preceding the eruption. There was, however, 

no definite pattern of earthquake foci starting at considerable depth 

and gradually approaching the surface, such as has been recognized 

preceding some eruptions of Mauna Loa (Finch, 1943).

Six quakes, ranging in intensity from slight to very feeble, occurred 

during the hour following the outbreak. This series was ended by a 

moderate earthquake at 00h47m on June 28. From that time until 

midnight on June 30 only 8 very feeble and feeble quakes could be 

distinguished on the seismograms from the background of continuous 

strong tremor that accompanied the eruption.

Throughout the rest of the eruption very few earthquakes that 

appeared to be of Kilauean origin were recorded. During July 5 

very feeble to slight quakes originated beneath the Kilauea caldera 

region or on nearby portions of the Kaoiki fault. Four similar 

quakes were recorded during August, and 6 during September. With 

the decline and end of the eruption in October and November, local 

earthquake activity increased. During October there were recorded 29 

very feeble earthquakes. Fifteen very feeble earthquakes and one 

slight earthquake, with foci beneath Kilauea caldera or on the Kaoiki 

fault zone near the caldera, were recorded during November.

VOLCANIC TREMOR

Volcanic tremor, as defined by Finch (1949), was essentially continuous throughout the eruption. Through late June, July, and early 

August, it was generally strong. The trembling was clearly felt by 

persons sitting on the ground in the vicinity of Halemaumau. It was 

especially noticeable to me when I was working over a planetable, 

and at times was sufficient to induce a slight feeling of dizziness and 

nausea. Level bubbles on the transit and alidade oscillated rapidly 

over a length of one or two scale divisions, about twice a second.

During the first 3 hours of the eruption the tremor recorded on the 

Bosch-Omori seismograph, at the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology, 

showed a rhythmic waxing and waning, at intervals of 5 to 8 seconds, 

with a maximum double amplitude of approximately 1 mm. About 

03h30m on June 28 the amplitude began to decrease rapidly, and by 

04h30m had become very weak. This decrease accompanied a marked 

lessening of lava activity in Halemaumau. The tremor started to 

increase in amplitude again about 09h, and by Ilb30m had a double 

amplitude of approximately 0.3 mm. It continued at approximately 

that strength, and with little variation from constancy, until June 30, 

when it increased somewhat to a maximum double amplitude of
102 G(MT'RIBUTIONS TO' GENERAL.'- GE'OL'OGY

about 0.8 mm. At the same time it again became markedly rhythmic 

in character.

The tremor continued similar in character and intensity until 

10h32m on July 2, when within a few minutes it increased in intensity 

to a maximum of about 1.2 mm, still retaining its rhythmic character. 

It continued strong until 15h l7m, corresponding to a period of increased activity of the lava fountains. At 15h17m the tremor again 

rapidly declined in strength until 17h50m when it was very weak. 

Thereafter it gradually resumed its accustomed strength, with a 

maximum double amplitude of about 0.8 mm. Another period of 

augmented tremor occurred at about 05h36m on July 3 lasting about 

75 minutes, with a maximum double amplitude of about 1.5 mm. 

This tremor also coincided with a period of marked increase of lavafountain activity, during which the southwestern fountain attained a 

height of 400 feet. Starting at about 22h 15m on July 3, a period of 

augmented lava-fountain activity was accompanied by augmented 

tremor, reaching a maximum double amplitude of 1.5 mm on the 

Bosch-Omori seismograph at the Whitney Laboratory. Similar correlation of increased strength of tremor with increased fountain activity was observed during the periods of augmented fountaining at 

15h30m on July 4 and 04h on July 5. Thus there appears to have 

been a definite correlation between the strength of the tremor and 

the size of the lava fountains, although other observations show this 

to be only part of a more fundamental relationship.

From about 12h50m to 18h20m on July 5 tremor was again greatly 

augmented in strength, reaching a maximum double amplitude about 

the same as that during the earlier periods of increased strength.

This period did not coincide with any notable increase in the size of 

activity of the lava fountains, but did coincide with a period of 

marked overflow of the lava lake. Furthermore, although there was

a definite correlation between periods of strong tremor and strong

fountaining, there was no apparent increase of tremor with individual 

exceptionally strong fountain bursts. Thus there is a strong suggestion that the correlation of earlier periods of augmented tremor with

increased fountain activity, while real, is actually only coincidental.

The true correlation probably is with periods of increased upward 

movement of liquid lava in the conduits, which hi turn is generally,

though not always, reflected at the surface by increased activity of

the lava fountains.

During July there was a gradual increase in the strength of the

tremor. From July 12 to 20 the maximum double amplitude on the

east-west component of the Bosch-Omori seismograph commonly 

reached 2 mm. The amplitude on the north-south component was 

somewhat less, commonly reaching a maximum of 1.5 mm. The
HAWAIIAN' VOLCANOES DURING 1952 103

tremor was markedly rhythmic in nature, increasing to a maximum 

and then decreasing to a minimum every 5 to 15 seconds.

The maximum ground displacement was about 22 microns, and the 

period of the tremor was approximately 0.58 second. By July 25 the 

maximum double amplitude on the east-west component was as much, 

as 3 mm, and the maximum ground displacement was about 30 microns 

(pi. 14). This exceedingly strong tremor continued until August 8. 

After that date the tremor gradually declined in strength, and by 

August 22 had again become weak, with a maximum ground displacement of only about 6 microns. This decrease coincided with a 

marked reduction in lava activity.

The revival of lava activity in early September was accompanied 

by some increase in the strength of the tremor, but for the remainder 

of the eruption tremor in general remained weak, with ground movement at the Whitney Laboratory seldom reaching as much as 10 

microns. No appreciable increase occurred on September 20, during 

the spectacular overflow of the small lava lake.

Starting on October 27 there were occasional intervals of augmented 

tremor, of several minutes duration. These differed from the tremor 

characteristic of the rest of the eruption in being markedly spasmodic 

in character. They appeared to consist of successions of very 

small earthquakes so closely spaced in time that their records merged 

into a continuous vibration of the seismograph. Twelve such intervals 

of augmented spasmodic tremor occurred between October 27 and 

November 9. Their duration ranged from 5 minutes on October 29 

to 50 minutes, from 02^05m to 02h55m, on November 5. Several 

could be correlated with temporary increases of activity in Halemaumau. Thus on November 5, from 22h09m to 22h 18m a marked increase 

of tremor coincided with a bright glow of short duration at Halemaumau, observed from Kilauea Military Camp. On November 6 

an overflow of the north conelet was accompanied by augmented 

tremor from 21h31m to 22h04m. On November 8, from 10h59m to 

Ilh 14m, augmented tremor accompanied an increase in the strength 

of the lava fountaining; and again on November 9, from 04h 16m to 

04h32m, it accompanied an increase in activity and overflow of the 

north conelet. Thus, again there appears to be a close correlation 

of increased tremor with increased lava activity in Halemaumau, 

though not necessarily with increased fountain action.

The ordinary tremor that continued throughout most of the eruption 

corresponds with the "harmonic" tremor described during earlier 

years by Jaggar (1920, p. 264) and Finch (1949). The second type 

of tremor resembles in most respects the "spasmodic" tremor described by Jaggar (1920, p. 264, 267), but its period (approximately 

0.5) is appreciably greater. The behavior of the tremor during the
104 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GENERAL GEOLOGY

1952 eruption appears to be in harmony with Finch's suggestion that 

it originates in the feeding conduits, not through fountain action or 

explosions at the surface.

LITERATURE CITED

Brigham, W. T., 1909, The volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa: B. P. Bishop

Mus. Mem., v. 2, no. 4, 222 p., Honolulu. 

Daly, R. A., 1914, Igneous rocks and their origin: 563 p., New York, McGrawHill Book Co. 

Dana, J. D., 1890, Characteristics of volcanoes: 399 p., New York, Dodd, Mead,

and Co. 

Pinch, R. H., 1940, Engulfment at Kilauea volcano: Volcano Letter 470, p. 1-2.

 1941, The filling in of Kilauea caldera: Volcano Letter 471, p. 1-3.

 1943, The seismic prelude to the 1942 eruption of Mauna Loa: Seismol. 

Soc. America Bull., v. 33, p. 237-241.

 1944, The November-December 1944 crisis at Kilauea: Volcano Letter 

486, p. 1-2.

 1949, Volcanic tremor (part 1): Seismol. Soc. America Bull., v. 39, 

p. 73-78.

 1950, The December 1950 subsidence at Kilauea: Volcano Letter 510,

p. 1-3.

Finch, R. H., and Macdonald, G. A., 1951, Report of the Hawaiian Volcano 

Observatory for 1948 and 1949: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 974-D, p. 103-133.

 1953, Hawaiian volcanoes during 1950: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 996-B,

p. 27-89. 

Gosline, W. A., 1954, Fishes killed by the 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa. [Part] 2.

Brotulidae: Pacific Sci., v. 8, no. 1., p. 68-83. 

Gosline, W. A., Brock, V. E., Moore, H. L., and Yamaguchi, Y., 1954, Fishes

killed by the 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa. [Part] 1. The origin and

nature of the collections: Pacific Sci., v. 8, no. 1, p. 23 27.

Hitchcock, C. H., 1909, Hawaii and its volcanoes: 314 p., Honolulu, Hawaiian 

Gazette Co., Ltd.

Jaggar, T. A., 1917, Thermal gradient of Kilauea lava lake: Washington Acad. 

Sci. Jour., v. 7, p. 397-405.

 1917a, Volcanologic investigations at Kilauea: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser.,

v. 44, p. 161-220.

 1920, Seismometric investigation of the Hawaiian lava column: Seismol.

Soc. America Bull., v. 10, p. 155-275.

1940, Magmatic gases: Am. Jour. Sci., v. 238, p. 313-353.

Jaggar, T. A., and Finch, R. H., 1921, The explosive eruption of Kilauea in

Hawaii, 1924: Am. Jour. Sci., 5th ser., v. 8, p. 353-374.

Macdonald, G. A., 1949, Petrography of the island of Hawaii: U. S. Geol. Survey

Prof. Paper 214-D, p. 51-96. 

 1951, The Kilauea earthquake of April 22, 1951, and its aftershocks:

Volcano Letter 512, p. 1-3.

1954, Activity of Hawaiian volcanoes during the years 1940-1950: Bull.

volcanologique, ser. 2, v. 15, p. 119-179.

Macdonald, G. A.., and Weivfcworth, C. 1C., XO54, BCo.wo.iia.Ti volco-noes during 1O5] -

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 996-D, p. 141-216. 

Macdonald, G. A., Shepard, F. P., and Cox, D. C., 1947, The tsunami of April 1,

1946, in the Hawaiian Islands: Pacific Sci., v. 1, p. 21-37. 

Nichols, R. L., 1939, Viscosity of lava: Jour. Geology, v. 47, p. 290-302.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES DURING 1952 105

Schulz, P. E., 1943, Some characteristics of the summit eruption of Mauna Loa, 

Hawaii, in 1940: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 54, p. 739-746.

Shepherd, E. S., 1912, Temperature of the fluid lava of Halemaumau, July, 1911: 

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Rept., p. 47-51, Boston, Society of Arts, 

Mass. Inst.- Technology.

 1921, Kilauea gases, 1919: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Bull., v. 9,

p. 83-88. 

Sverdrup, H. U., Johnson, M. W., and Fleming, R. H., 1946, The Oceans: 1087

p., New York, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 

Verhoogen, J., 1948, Les eruptions 1938-1940 du volcan Nyamuragira: Institut

des Pares Nationaux du Congo Beige, Exploration du Pare National Albert,

Fasc. 1, Bruxelles, 186 p. 

Washington, H. S., 1923, Petrology of the Hawaiian Islands: [Part] 3. Kilauea

and general petrology of Hawaii: Am. Jour. Sci., 5th ser., v. 6, p. 338-367. 

Wentworth, C. K., 1938, Ash formations of the island Hawaii: Hawaiian

Volcano Observatory, 3d Spec. Rept., Honolulu, 183 p.

 1953, A suggested explanation of the alternation of activity between two

vents at Kilauea volcano: Volcano Letter, no. 522, p. 1-2. 

Wentworth, C. K., and Williams, H., 1932, The classification and terminology of

the pyroclastic rocks: Nat. Research Council Bull., 89, p. 19-53. 

Wentworth, C. K., Carson, M. H., and Finch, R. H., 1945, Discussion on the

viscosity of lava: Jour. Geology, v. 53, p. 94-104. 

Wood, H. 0., 1914, On the earthquakes of 1868 in Hawaii: Seismol. Soc. America

Bull., v. 4, p. 169-203.

 and Neumann, F., 1931, Modified Mercalli intensity scale of 1931: Seismol. 

Soc. America Bull., v. 21, p. 277-283.

INDEX

Page 

Aa, flow..-..........-...-...........-..--.-- 59

Abstract ._ . 15 

Acknowledgments- __ . .-.____ 16-17 

Alternation of activity of two central vents of

Halemaumau.__________ 74 

Analyses of samples of gas from Halemaumau. 98 

Apua Point____-----.___-_-_.--.-.-_.-.___- 23

Black ledge---------------------.---------. 53,54

Bosch-Omori seismograph _____. ___ 18,19,45 

number of earthquakes recorded weekly

on.. -. _ -_ 23

Chemical composition and norm of pumice 81 

Cinder cone....__------________ 74,75

Cone-building phase...____________ 67-70 

Crack measurements...__..________.. 47 

Crust islands.. __-_ . _______ 61,67

Damage, earthquake on May 23.--_____ 24 

Declining phase of eruption ......._____ 71-79

Displacement on faults of the Hilina fault

system. _____________ 40 

Distribution of epicenters. ________'.. 39

Earthquakes; distant origin....___r ........ 25,32

local. _--------_____ ____ 25

number recorded during 1952..-,-.___. 20

per week..____________1_ 23

preliminary phase........ _____ 25

 swarms__ .____ _____ 20,23,36 

East rift zone of Kilauea caldera, crack-measur-

. ing stations on_ ____.___ 47 

earthquake activity ____... 100 

originating on._____________ 37 

Effect of temperature variation on horizontal

pendulum tiltmeters ._____ 19

Energy release by earthquakes__ _____ 40-41

Epicenter, distant earthquakes________ 32

distribution of.. ___._.______ 39

location of_________________ 38

of earthquakes stronger than tremors. __ 25-32

Fumaroles. 71

Geomagnetism, differences in vertical intensity . _____.______ 49 

Ground tilting, direction of__________ 45,46

Halemaumau, area of lava lake, July 1-6... 62-67,68 

collapse of 1924 ......... ........... 55

crack- and tilt-measuring stations on....~. 48

number of eruptions.. __________ 55

rock slide, size _____________ 51

tumescence of floor____________ 49

Hawaiian-typeseismograph __... _____ 19

Hilina fault system, displacement on faults - 40

origin of earthquake or January 26___ 23

Hilo Bay, heights reached by tsunami____ 35

History of volcanic activity in Kilauea..__ 53-56

Imamura seismograph, three-component......

Index of refraction of erupted lava.. ... 

Isostatic adjustment..__ ___ _..

Jaggar vertical seismograph ... 

Jeflerys formula for laminar flow.. ...

Page

79

68

19

90

Kalapana, earthquakes felt in. ___. __ 36,37,38 

Kamchatka, earthquake of November 4,1962. 33. 

Kaoiki fault system, origin of earthquakes

on.-....... .-.. 24,100

Kapapala, earthquakes felt in________ 37,43 

Kealakekua fault, origin of earthquakes on... 24 

Kilauea, comparison of volume of flank flows

with total_____..._-_ _-_-.__ 53

constancy and frequency of eruption.._ 83 

declining phase of eruption, August 9-

November 10._ __......... 71

eruption, 1790._. ............... 53

1868-. ............................. 54

1934 .- 55

June 27,1952... 51

flank flow, 1823..----------------.--.----. 53

1840. 54

subsidence, central part . ----- 53,54,55

temperature comparison with 1950 eruption

ofMaunaLoa -.- .. 89

tilting of ground, northeast edge ... 52'

total volume lava erupted since 1823 ... 83

Kona, earthquake damage . --.. 24

Lava, flow of September 3 -.___.. .. 73,74, 

1 ^ ' September 12 . .. 74-75.;

September 20__ _ 76 

October 12 -____-_..____ ._ 77-78

November 6.------- _ ........ 79-80

fountains, description.. ._ 50,57 

height.-..... -- ----- -- 58

length. 57

lake, change in area, June 30-July 6,

1952. . 62-64,68 

definition ------- ----- 92-

direction of circulation 77,95

ring________.- 67

Loucks-Omori seismograph 19

Magnetometer stations 49-

Mauna Loa, origin of earthquakes oh 62

seismograph station.. 23

Migration of epicenters. 40'

Neumann-Labarre seismograph 19' 

magnification._ 18'

Pahoehoe crust ............ . 60, 61,62-

Personnel of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.. 16 

Phreatic explosions.- -- 65 

Prediction of tsunami 33 

Primary fountains -------------------- 89,91,92-

temperature of hot cores . . 87" 

107
108 INDEX

Page

Profiles showing levels of floor of Halemaumau._ .. 81 

Pumice, damage to cars... ...___ 57

size of blocks_ 57

Pyrometer, dispppearirg-dot type. 85,87

glowing-filament type.--...___..__ 87

Radiopctivity of erupted lava . 79 

Rain gage, location of. 51 

Rainfall, monthly record.. .. 51 

Rate of extrusion of lava . ------- 84

rise of gas cloud above fountains in Halemaiunau.------ __.._ --- 98

Relationship of ground tilting to volcanic

activity...__. -___.--.-. 44 

lava lake to spatter conelets _....... _ 97

Rock slides on Halemaumau, amount deposited... . -.-- 52

retreat of rim from_. __________ 52

Secondary fountains. __...______._ 91,92 

Seismic Sea Wave Warning System... ___ 33 

Seismicity, daily, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. __-----_____.--._ 36 

Whitney Laboratory.. ___.__ 37 

hourly, Whitney Laboratory.._____ 42 

weekly, Whitney Laboratory. ______ 22 

values.___________________ 23,40 

Seismographs:

Boscb-Omori_______________ 18,19 

Hawaiian-type.. .. . 19 

Imamura____ .. __ . 18,19 

Jaggar vertical_ .. 19 

Loucks-Omori... .. .... .. 18,19 

Neumann-Labarre . __ 19 

Sprengnether._ . _ 18,19 

Wood-Anderson.-..__ __ 19 

Sinkholes......... . . 57,60,62,75

Slope of cascade surface.. 90,91

Slump scarp_________ .._-- 59,60,84 

Solfataras_______ 79,80

Page

South Hawaii earthquakes, origin. __. ___ 35 

Spatter conelet__________ _.. 67,74,75 

Specific gravity of Hawaiian basaltic liquid 90 

Speed of movement of lava.__.. ___ 90,91 

Sprengnether vertical seismograph.....___ 18,19 

Submarine c6rito'urs'(from"Coa"st'and Geodetic

Survey)_-..-.-._....__.__ 39

dome__-_____ .__- -._ 39

Sulphur Bank, steam temperature at.____ 60

Synchronized time signal. ..__ ____. 18

Temperature, crick in 1950 Kaapuna lava

flow.... . ---__---------_ 50

decline during eruption... . pi. 27 

fluid lava...._______________ 50

vault at Uwekahuna...-___.____ 19 

Whitney Laboratory..____..__ 19 

volcanic steam___. _ -.--.-. 19 

Tilting of ground, amount-________ 44,45,46 

Tsunami of November 4, comparison with 

heights reaches in Aleutian Islands 

1946.... -- . 33

height, Cocoanut Island_________ 33,35 

island of Hawaii.. ... . 33,35 

Kuhio wharf______________ 33 

Reeds Bay_ - -_ 33

time of arrival.._____.._ _ 33

Uwekahuna seismograph station... __.. 18,44

Viscosity, calculation of...___________ 90,91 

coeflicientof ......... ----- . 90

Volcanic steam, as means of temperature control . 19

Waimea plain, orgin of earthquake on January

23.- . 23

Waves in fountain pit, length of __ ___ 93

speed of ____. _____________ 93

Width of cracks.... ----- - 47

Wood-Anderson seismograph. 18,19
PLATES 1-14

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

I \V\ FOUNTAIN'S \LONG THK FISSURK IX THE NORTHEA

BIIIGHTLY GLOWING CRACKS IN THIN CRUST OF LIQUID 

The fountains range from about 20 to 50 feet in height. Waves in the liqu

by C. K. Wentworth.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

A\A ! ;u . . \\\.- :;AR THK SOCTHWEST EDGE OF HALEMAU

i'lie large fountain at the edge of the floor occupies the site of the southwest sink

shows white boulder that can also be identifie
GEOLOGICAL STKVKY 

CLOSEUP OF LARGE FOUNTAIN AT SITE OF THE SOUTHWEST S

The fountain is about 150 feet hig
OEOI.OOICAL SrRVKY 

FOUNTAINS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PART OF HALEMAUMAU 

The bright lines arc caused by rifting apart of the thin crust on the lava lake. No

spatter is accumulating to build cones. Photograph b
OEOLOOIC.M, SURVEY 

CONIES AND FOUNTAIN IN HALEMAUMAU ON JULY 19, 1952, FROM 

SOUTHEAST RIM OF THE CRAT

The lava ring, or natural levee, confining the lake at a level 10 to 15 feet above the 

area shows position of white boulder referred t
GEOLOGICAL SITRVEY 

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF HALE.MAU.MAl', LOOKING SOrTII\

Note the broad fountain pit in the cinder cone and the large rivers draining from 

Kilauea caldera, the boundary cliffs of which are visible in the right backgPark Service.
GEOLOGK'AI, SURVEY 

I

LAVA RIVERS POURIXG THROUGH WIDE GAPS IX THE CENTRAL 

LAKE, JULY 29, 1952.

The lava ring along the southeast edge of the lake is in the foreground. Fumarole

indicates position of lens on the western wa
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

ACTIVITY IN* HALEMAUMAU OX AUGUST 12, 1952, VIEWED FROM T

The northeast river has ceased flowing, and the east and south rivers are much 

cone are about 65 feet.
fiK()l.(K;iC'AL SURVEY 

ACTIVITY IN HALP^MAUMAU OX AUGUS

Lava has ecused spilling from the cone, and the surrounding lava lake is inactiv

the western wall.
X I STRVEY 

SMALL SPATTER-AXD-CINDER CONES AX 1) LA\A LAM'. IX T

COXE, SEPTEMBER 9, 19.52, LOOKING WESTWARD FROM SO

Comparison of the circled area on the western wall of the crater with that 

amount of rise on the floor during the interval betwee
<;KI>', 'MilCA!. S1HVEY 

THE SMALL LAVA LAKE OVERFLOWING SOUTHWARD AND NORTH

SEPTEMBER 20, 1952, VIEWED FROM THE SOUTHEAST 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF HALEMAUMAU, LOOKING SOU

The crater had an average depth of 770 feet. Note the long banks of t

Park Service.

'"'' *- -' '* -'
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF HALEMAUMAU, LOOKING SOUTH

Note the great reduction in depth of the crater during the 1952 eruption. 

completely buried. Fissures of the southwest rift zone of Kilauea arE. K. Field, National Park Service.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BULLETIN 1021 PLATE 14

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VOLCANIC TREMOR, RECORDED ON THE BOSCH-OMORI SEISMOGRAPH AT THE WHITNEY LABORATORY

OF SEISMOLOGY, ON JULY 25, 1952.

The distance between successive minute marks on the original record is 60 millimeters. The static magnification of the

instrument is 145.