Active shield volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Loa - the world's largest volcano

He is relatively young, but very active. Experts consider it the most active volcano in our time. Its incessant eruption has been occurring since 1983.

General information

Name Kilauea volcano translated from Hawaiian means "spewing". Its height is 1247 meters, the volcano is located next to its "brother" Manua Loa, but differs from it in its lower growth.

Start last eruption happened on January 3, 1983 and still does not stop. Since 2011, intense eruptive activity has been observed.

At the top of the Kilauea volcano is a large caldera. This is a basin measuring 3 by 4 km. It contains a crater that has been active since 2008. The crater is called Halemaumau, it erupts a powerful column of gas and lava. Of course, this is not the only volcanic crater; the Western and Southeastern rift zones are rich in them. There are also two cones interesting names Kupayanaha and Puu-oo, from which lava also flows.

The volcano has two fault zones: one stretches 125 km to the east, the second - 35 km to the west.

Beliefs of the locals

The inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands have long worshiped the goddess Pele. She is considered the patroness of volcanoes and, according to legend, lives in the Kilauea volcano. At the first shudder of the elements, a tribe of natives, together with the oldest sorcerer, rises to the top of Kilauea.

The pagans call the lava lake "the house of eternal fire." Its fiery surface rises, releasing flows of lava, gases and vapors. The natives, with prayers to the goddess, throw sacrifices (birds and gifts of the earth) into a boiling lake, called the "womb" of the goddess. They appeal to Pele and ask to save them from the disaster. The natives believe that if you appease the goddess, she will be supportive and will not erupt with fiery lava.

Lava products are named after the goddess. For example, "tears of Pele" are called miniature drops of lava, "hair" - strips of lava chilled in the wind, "algae" - flowing lava into the ocean.

Element today

The shape of the volcano belongs to the shield. This means that it was formed as a result of lava eruptions. Liquid lava spreads over many kilometers, and a “shield” is formed from its layers.

The volcano has several craters. The slope of the volcano is gentle, and you can climb it without having climbing skills. Many tourists indulge in this dangerous activity, risking their own lives. Of course, seeing a volcanic eruption is an incomparable feeling, but we must not forget that being close to the elements is extremely dangerous.

Behind last years lava destroyed many tracks and buildings. Certainly, locals adapted to specific living conditions. They build houses on stilts. Ornitos are considered very dangerous - these are vents that release gases of high temperature. The magma around them is unstable, and there is a risk of collapse.

The participation of the volcano in the process of building the islands

An interesting fact is that the Hawaiian Islands themselves were formed as a result of the action of several volcanoes. In fact, the islands are the tops of vast volcanoes that have emerged from the ocean depths. Similar geographical location islands is truly unique on planet earth.

Many Hawaiian volcanoes are over 70 million years old. Kilauea is the youngest among them. It is located in the southeast of the Big Island. All the local volcanoes have erupted since ancient times, being in the waters of the ocean, and now their tops rise above sea level. And some are so high that they surpass many famous mountain peaks.

The exclusivity of the volcano

Scientists emphasize the exclusivity of the Kilauea volcano, calling it the most active volcano in Hawaii. At present, he is the most active on the entire planet.

Kilauea rose from the sea 100,000 years ago, after a series of eruptions. Previously, Kilauea was considered to be just an escort of the neighbor Manua Loa. However, Kilauea later discovered its own magma chamber. This is the "heart" of the volcano, formed by hot lava.

The vast majority of the slopes of Kilauea are covered with hardened lava, whose age does not exceed 1000 years. Lava patches are interspersed with rock fragments and ash. A significant part of the mountain remains under water.

eruptions

In January 1983, the Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii. From the crater called Puu-oo, lava pours out in huge quantities. Such an eruption is considered the most voluminous over the past 5 centuries in the Eastern Rift Zone.

By the end of 2012, lava flows covered 125.5 km 2, thereby destroying habitable land. The total area of such territory was 202 hectares. Lava destroyed 214 buildings and eliminated 14.5 km of roads.

The eruption of the Kilauea volcano greatly affects the ecology of neighboring lands. Plants stop growing because of lava outpourings, and because of sulfurous gases carried by the wind, acid rains fall. Such rains are especially frequent in the desert Southwestern Rift Zone.

tourist interest

The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii attracts many tourists. It is included in the local national park, where crowds of lovers of extreme recreation annually gather.

The park has more than 240 hiking trails. Some of them are easy, others are very long. On one such path, you can go to the inactive crater Kilauea, which erupted in 1959, cross its bottom, pass by a funnel frozen many years ago. A very exciting route!

Not far from the entrance to the park is the Kilauea Information Center, where rangers will tell you a lot of interesting things about the life of volcanoes, as well as offer exciting tours to everyone. You can also buy souvenirs here.

Here he is, fire-breathing and dangerous volcano Kilauea attracts with its unexplored nature both volcanologists and curious tourists from all over the world.

The Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is famous for its volcanic activity. Here you can watch how landscapes and landscapes change literally before your eyes, thanks to the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet
The park is a habitat for rare bird species; unique forests of giant ferns grow here.

The Hawaiian Islands are crowned with an underwater volcanic ridge and are the highest active volcanoes on earth. Volcanic activity on the largest island of the archipelago, the island of Hawaii, continues to this day. This is where the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is located.

The Hawaiian Volcanoes is a US national park established in 1916 on the island of Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands.

Kilauela Volcano, the main volcano of the park, is traditionally considered the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele. Hawaiians used to visit the crater to bring gifts to the goddess. The first white people climbed that volcano only in 1823, they were the English missionary William Ellis and the American Asa Thurston. Here is what Ellis later wrote about the caldera of the volcano: “A sublime and even terrifying performance appeared before us. We stopped in awe. the abyss that lies below us." The Kilauela caldera is like a lake of boiling fiery liquid with an area of 4.5 square kilometers and a depth of over 230 meters. Kilauela is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. He has been unable to calm down since 1983. Thomas Jagger set up a museum on the edge of that caldera. Exhibits are everything related to volcanoes - scientific equipment, clothing used by volcanologists, and so on. Some windows of the museum offer a wonderful view of the Calauela caldera and the Galemaumau crater. The museum bears the name of Jagger, who was also the first director of the Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory, adjacent to the museum. But for tourists, the entrance to the observatory is closed. In the park, you can see the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic activity. Which formed both the islands themselves and their ecological system. The park covers all heights - from sea level to the top of the island - Mauna Loa volcano (4169). And the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active, gives scientists information about the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and evokes thoughts about the first volcanic landscapes. The park includes 1348 square kilometers.

Volcano Park, founded in 1916, is located in the southeast of the Big Island. The area of the park is 1348 sq. km. Here you can see the Hawaiian jungle with giant ferns, unique volcanic formations, smoking craters.

On the territory of the Park there is a volcanological museum, where films are shown daily free of charge. The main attraction of the park is the Kilauea Caldera volcano with its steaming cracks, sulfuric fumes and periodic eruptions. Its two neighbors, the less active Mauna Loa volcano and the dormant Mauna Kea volcano, rise to about 4200m. above sea level, while their foundation rests on the ocean floor, which is about 4800m. Mauna Kea is the most high mountain of the world, if measured from the foot of the ocean floor.

The unique landscape of the park is formed by the activity of volcanoes. Travelers have a unique opportunity to see both dormant volcanoes, the slopes of which are already covered with tropical forests, and active, smoking craters. The solidified dark volcanic lava slides into the ocean in a huge black river, blocking roads, and forms a bizarre coastline. Where lava enters the ocean, steam rises in the air and arches form. The singularity of the landscape and its emptiness creates a feeling as if you were on the edge of the earth.

Olivines found after a volcanic eruption. Photo source: Twitter, @GEOetc2

When an active volcanic eruption began in Hawaii, the whole world started talking about a natural incident. Photos and videos of a frightening and at the same time bewitching spectacle spread all over the world. However, now there is a new reason for discussion: apparently, Kilauea gave the inhabitants of the Big Island a rain of precious stones.

Olivines (the common name for the mineral, which includes chrysolites, they are also peridots) are very common in nature, they are mined in many countries on different continents. There are even beaches in Hawaii whose sand is green due to the large number of olivine grains weathered from basalt rocks. Although, of course, gem-quality stones - - can be much more difficult to find.

More on the topic

Gemstones of Pantone Colors for Spring-Summer 2015

Olivine green sand on a beach in Hawaii

Olivine green sand from a Hawaiian beach

Probably, during a volcanic eruption, olivines, usually born at a depth of about 400 meters, were thrown to the surface along with lava. Considering that it is usually extremely difficult to separate these stones from the rock, it was the sharp and fast ejection of hot and very quickly cooling lava that freed the pieces of the mineral, sending them into free flight. Now, residents of all areas of the island closest to the volcano find a dozen tiny olivines per day.

It is worth noting that another position regarding the “precious rain” in Hawaii is being actively discussed today. Some scientists are inclined to believe that the inhabitants of the island mistook pieces of cooled green lava for olivines, and the stones found, most likely, lay on the surface from the last eruption of another volcano - Kapoho.

If you want to find a lot of olivines, best way out– go to one of the local beaches, where nature has already done all the work for us…
Scott Rowland, geologist

Hawaii on fire - since the beginning of May, the Kilauea volcano has been erupting on the Big Island. Due to seismic activity, 13 more volcanoes that surround the archipelago may wake up. Now near Hawaii it is impossible not only to fly (volcanic ash can get into aircraft engines), but also to swim, because lava rivers flow into the waters Pacific Ocean, forming toxic clouds.

Big Island Hawaii has been in a disaster area since the beginning of the month. There rages one of the most active active volcanoes in the world of Kilauea.

In three weeks, lava flows spread 24 kilometers and reached the Pacific Ocean. When in contact with lava sea water boils, forming clouds of acid fumes, water vapor and glassy particles.

Boiling water throws fiery fountains and lava fragments into the air. Sprays fly up to a height of 30 meters.

However, before reaching the ocean, the lava destroyed about 50 houses and dozens of other buildings on its way.

Due to the eruption, more than 2 thousand residents were evacuated from the territory affected by the volcano and air travel was canceled.

Rivers of lava flowed to the geothermal power plant, which provides the Big Island with 25% of all electricity. After that, the elements reached the water about 5 kilometers east of the power plant.

On the east coast of the island, lava fountains can be observed that break out of cracks 40 meters deep. Three weeks ago, the fissures erupted less intensely. Volcanologists explained that then the remaining magma from past eruptions came out, and now it is fresh lava, whose flows will erupt more powerfully and higher.

Now the height of lava fountains can reach 100 meters, and volcanologists are sure that this is not the limit. In 1955, the Kilauea eruption lasted several months, and now history may repeat itself.

Authorities are distributing masks that protect people from volcanic ash. This week, the first victim of the eruption appeared on the island. A man standing on a third-floor balcony suffered a serious leg injury from lava spray.

Now the situation has worsened by the fact that methane began to come out of the ground, it flares up and catches fire. At any moment, everything can end with an explosion.

But at the same time, one should not overestimate the scale of the eruption: one of the Reddit users clearly demonstrated them by posting the following picture.

Hawaiian volcanoes (Hawaii Volcanoes) are located on the territory of the National Park. Active volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea has been erupting slowly but continuously since 1983 and is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. In the park you can see the result of thousands of years of volcanic activity, migration and evolution processes that have formed land in the middle of the ocean with a unique ecosystem. The Kilauela volcano has a crater 4.5 km in diameter. Its maximum depth is about 230 m. Today, a real museum has been organized on the edge of this crater, its founder was Thomas Jagger, the first head of the Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory, and the exhibits are scientific equipment, clothes of volcanologists and other things related to volcanoes.

Geological evidence of the age of ancient surfaces on the southern and western slopes of Mauna Loa has led to the assumption that these are two ancient shield volcanoes, Ninole (Ninole) and Kulani (Kulani), which were completely buried by the younger Mauna Loa. Geologists now consider these rock outcrops to be part of Mauna Loa.

Loihi volcano is located 35 km southeast of the island of Hawaii. This is an underwater mountain, the top of which is 980 meters below the water surface. The ongoing activity of Loihi in 10,000-100,000 years may lead to the emergence of a new island or peninsula of the island of Hawaii above the ocean surface.

Volcanoes

Kohala - extinct
Mauna Kea - dormant
Hualalai - active but not erupting since 1801
Mauna Loa is active. Partially located in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park
Kilauea - active (constantly erupting since 1983). Is a part national park Hawaiian Volcanoes.

Thanks to the eruptions of the Kilauea volcano, the area of the island of Hawaii is still increasing. From January 1983 to September 2002, lava flows increased the island by 220 hectares.

Useful tourist information

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Official website - nps.gov
Visitor Information & Photos | volcanogallery.com
Hawaii'i Volcanoes | Explore Guide (PDF)
tourist information about the Hawaiian Islands - www.gohawaii.com

Address: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718, United States
Coordinates: 19°23’00.0″N 155°12’00.0″W

Two roads connect the two main cities - Hilo on the east coast and Kailua-Kona on the west coast of the island.

State Highways 19 and 190, northern route through Waimea.
State Route 11, southbound through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

There are also State Routes 270 (Kawaihae - Xavi) and 180 ("Kona Coffee Road", see English Kona Coffee) from Honalo to Route 190, Saddle Road (from Hilo to Waimea, passing by Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea), South Point Road (Route 11 to south point USA), etc. Car rental offices are located in international airports. There is also a taxi service. Free public transport provided by Hele-On Bus

The main commercial ports are located at Hilo in the east and Kawaihae in the west of the island. Cruise ships often stay in Kailua-Kona.