Of the landmark eruptions of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii, of the past 200 years, the 2018 activity is among the most significant. The 4-month eruption extruded over 1 km3 of lava, surpassed in the past 200 years at Kīlauea only by the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō eruption. In addition to the scale of the eruption, the 2018 activity stands out for its societal impacts; the LERZ eruption has the unfortunate distinction of being the most destructive eruption in Hawai‘i in the past 200 years The studies in this special issue address a wide range of topics related to the 2018 eruption, including geophysical and geochemical observations, physical volcanology and hazards and risks.