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The Kilauea Volcano, at 4,000 feet (1219 m) is one of the most active
volcanoes in the world. The Kilauea Summit Caldera is 2.5 miles
long, two miles wide and 400 feet deep. The caldera was created
in intervals from the 6th century to the 18th century, when lava
drained from an underground magma chamber causing the volcano summit
to collapse. Kilauea has erupted intermittently at the summit for
the past 100 years. The most recent summit flows were in 1974 and
1982. Now, the caldera is quiet with only rising clouds of vapor
as reminders of what lies underneath the magic Kilauea’s surface.
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