1983 - 1986

Fissure eruption at the onset of the current eruption. This fissure is about 0.6 mile (0.9 km) long. Photograph by J.D. Griggs, U.S. Geological Survey, January 3, 1983.

The eruption began along a discontinuous series of fissures on January 3, 1983. Activity became localized along a 1-km-long fissure, where it continued intermittently for several weeks. On February 10, a new vent formed and the eruption continued, culminating in a continuous eruption that lasted 8 days and ended on March 4. By April 9, a second vent formed. This vent became Puu Oo.

The Puu Oo cone was built by 43 episodes of high fountaining. Photograph by J.D. Griggs, U.S. Geological Survey, February 4, 1985.

Puu Oo, is 15 miles (24 km) east of the caldera. It erupted from 1983 to 1986 and had many fountaining episodes (4-47), some up to 1,400 feet (420 m) in the air.


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