Volcano Watch: The most unusual Kīlauea eruption … maybe 1823? : Big Island Now
Seeing that this eruption produced relatively thin and fast-moving pāhoehoe flows, we know the lava had a low viscosity. Essentially, it spread across the pre-existing ground surface like a coat of spilled paint rather than sticky tar. But why was the viscosity so low?
Source: bigislandnow.com