Earthquake Trail Part 2 of 4

Earthquake Trail

Part 2 of 4

The first earthquake was on November 29, 1975. At 3:36 A.M. a magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook the island. The force was enough to wake many residents. Some campers at Halape, a popular camping spot, moved down to the beach to get away from rocks falling from nearby cliffs. This earthquake was just a precursor to a larger earthquake that occurred at 4:48 A.M. Photograph courtesy of the National Park Service.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake was located 3 miles (5 km) beneath the village of Kalapana on the south flank of Kilauea. It was the largest earthquake in this century in Hawaii and the second largest earthquake in historic time (a magnitude 7.9 earthquake occurred in 1868). The earthquake triggered several dramatic events. The south coast of the island dropped nearly 12 feet (3.5 m) and moved a short distance towards the ocean. This movement generated a tsunami that raced on shore and reached as far inland as 300 feet (100 m) and 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. At Halape, shown in the above photo, two campers were killed. Photograph by Peter Lipman, U.S. Geological Survey, December 9, 1975.

About 45 minutes after the earthquake a 1,500 foot (500 m) long fissure opened northeast of Halemaumau Crater. The eruption lasted 17 hours and produced lava fountains as high as 150 feet (50 m).

The 1975 earthquake caused $4.1 million in damage. Ground shaking and the tsunami destroyed seven homes and two vehicles. Numerous roads were cracked or buckled, including Crater Rim Drive at Waldron Ledge. In this photo, lines shows cracks in the road. The caldera is just out of the picture on the left. Photograph from J.M. Buchanan-Banks, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1350.

All photos by Steve Mattox except where noted.

To VolcanoWorld