Kilauea Iki Crater 1959 (IMAGE) University of Maryland Caption A fountain of lava erupts from Hawaii's Kilauea Iki crater on Dec. 5, 1959. Two rock samples from this eruption contain geochemical anomalies that could date back 4.5 billion years, shortly after the Earth first formed. Credit USGS/J.P. Eaton Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.