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There were several viewpoints from the trail to check out the crater.
Raised terraces flanking the trail probably formed when huge blocks of Pu‘u Pua‘i slid into the lava lake. Slowly rafted away from the base of the cone by gushing lava, these “floating islands” came to rest here. Each time the lake level rose, they were covered by molten lava. When lava drained back into the vent, the blocks were again exposed as terraces standing above the surrounding lake surface.
The 1988 drilling project revealed a surprising discovery: The lava lake at Kīlauea Iki is deeper than originally projected. The old crater floor apparently subsided into the underlying magma reservoir. No collapse was observed during the eruption, so the crater floor must have gradually “floated down” as molten rock erupted from the reservoir. The lava lake is now estimated to be 440 feet deep.
Raised terraces flanking the trail probably formed when huge blocks of Pu‘u Pua‘i slid into the lava lake. Slowly rafted away from the base of the cone by gushing lava, these “floating islands” came to rest here. Each time the lake level rose, they were covered by molten lava. When lava drained back into the vent, the blocks were again exposed as terraces standing above the surrounding lake surface.
The 1988 drilling project revealed a surprising discovery: The lava lake at Kīlauea Iki is deeper than originally projected. The old crater floor apparently subsided into the underlying magma reservoir. No collapse was observed during the eruption, so the crater floor must have gradually “floated down” as molten rock erupted from the reservoir. The lava lake is now estimated to be 440 feet deep.