Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth. It is located more than 4 km above sea level and its long underwater slopes descend to the seabed for an additional 5 km. This huge volcano covers half of one of the Hawaiian Islands.
Ancient, large and very active
Mauna Loa is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, having erupted 33 times since its first well-documented historical eruption in 1843. The last time it was in 1984. Its area is more than 5 thousand square kilometers. The approximate time of the first oldest suberial eruptions is about 400-700 million years ago.
Where is the largest volcano in the world?
Mauna Loa or "long mountain" in Hawaiian is located on the island of Hawaii. It is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. It is a really tall and large mountain, occupying half of the island on which it is located. Mauna Loa Volcano is composed primarily of a type of rock known as tholeiitic basalt.
First mention
The earliest written record of the Mauna Loa eruption dates back to 1780, shortly after Captain Cook's first visit to the island. The lava flow that was observed in 1855-1856 is one of the largest flows ever seen. In 1868, the eruption and earthquakes in Hawaii were officially documented as magnitude 8 by modern standards.
The famous shield volcano
The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii is called the shield volcano. And there are certain reasons for that. In its shape, it is a relatively long, flat and low volcano. This is because during an eruption, lava is not ejected outward with explosions, which would gradually form a steep, cone-shaped volcano over time, but exudes streams that reduce a huge territory. Does this make the volcano less dangerous? This leakage can also be quite devastating. Streams running along the slope can cause irreparable harm to both a person and his property in a matter of hours. So, in 1950, an eruption destroyed a nearby village and a local highway.
The volcano continues to grumble
A number of earthquakes were recorded in 2016, but this is not unusual. This is the norm for this area. And Mauna Loa is now closely monitored because Hawaii is a popular vacation destination and no one wants to be caught off guard by a volcanic eruption. The local area is a great place for tourists.
One of the five volcanoes in the Hawaiian Islands
On the Hawaiian Islands, where the Mauna Loa volcano is located, there are 4 more volcanoes, two of which have not shown signs of activity for a long time. Most frightening is that it is very difficult to predict where the next eruption will take place, both in terms of time and in terms of the danger zone. Therefore, just in case, a special evacuation center was created. Despite the fact that Mauna Loa is not explosive and does not produce large emissions of debris or ash clouds when erupting, its lava flows can still pose a great threat.
Climate features
The impressive ancient volcano was and still is an active force in shaping both the Hawaiian landscape and its culture. His restless disposition and presence in general have a great influence on the climate of these places. Winds blow from east to west across the island.
The eastern half of the volcano is characterized by frequent rainfall and lush tropical vegetation.
The western side of Mauna Loa (a photo of it can be seen in the article) is much drier and poorer in flora and fauna. Higher in the mountains, the temperature drops, from time to time you can see snow and ice build-ups there.
Mythology
The indigenous people of the ancient Hawaiian Islands were inspired by Mauna Loa and viewed it with awe and admiration. It is not surprising that some of the most popular and enduring Hawaiian myths are associated with volcanic activity.
The Hawaiian goddess Pele was a cruel and fiery woman who was revered and feared. She personified fire, lightning, violence and, most importantly, volcanic eruptions.
According to legend, the goddess Pele lived in a crater on the top of Mauna Loa, from where she controlled all natural processes.
Statues and altars were built in her honor on the slopes of the majestic volcano, and people sacrificed to her and offered their prayers to appease the deity and prevent fire from destroying their homes and villages.
This attitude is still felt in Hawaii today, and people still have trembling fear and tremendous respect for Mauna Loa.
While the beautiful sandy beaches attract tourists to Hawaii, true travelers go a little further inland for spectacular volcanoes. And none of them are as big as Mauna Loa.
An exciting excursion to the volcano
Much of Mauna Loa is located in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, where you can easily take some excellent pictures for everyone. But the hike to the very top of the volcano, which usually takes about two grueling days, can only be done by experienced tourists. The park is always open, but the path to Mauna Loa is sometimes blocked for security reasons.
In the vicinity of the volcano, many towns and villages were built and continue to be built. They are based on lava that has been erupting for the past two hundred years. And this is despite the fact that there is a fairly high probability of repeated eruptions that can lead to the total destruction of nearby settlements.
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 the frightening and at the same time bewitching spectacle have spread all over the world. However, now there is a new reason for discussion: apparently, Kilauea has gifted the inhabitants of the Big Island with a rain of precious stones.
Olivines (the common name of the miner to which chrysolites belong, they are also peridots) are found in nature very often, they are mined in many countries on different continents. In Hawaii, there are even beaches, the sand of which casts green due to the large amount of olivine grains weathered from the basalt rocks. Although, of course, gem-quality stones are much more difficult to find.
More on the topic
Pantone gemstones for spring-summer 2015
Olivine green sand on a beach in Hawaii
Olivine green sand from Hawaiian beach
Probably during the eruption of the volcano, 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 rapid ejection of hot and very quickly cooling lava that released pieces of the mineral, sending them into free flight. Now the inhabitants of all areas of the island closest to the volcano find a dozen tiny olivines per day.
It should be noted that today another position regarding the "precious rain" in Hawaii is being actively discussed. Some scientists are inclined to believe that the inhabitants of the island mistakenly took pieces of cooled green lava for olivine, and the stones found, most likely, lay on the surface since the last eruption of another volcano - Kapoho.
If you want to find a lot of olivines, the best way out is to go to one of the local beaches, where nature has already done all the work for us ...
Scott Rowland, geologist
Hawaii's majestic volcanoes, Goddess Pele and erupting lava. Lava, where are you? ...
Location: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island of Hawaii
As we mentioned in our previous notes, on Big Island of Hawaii we drove for its volcanoes and erupting lava.
(or Hawaii Volcanic National Park) provides a unique opportunity for its visitors to look at volcanic eruptions at a fairly close and at the same safe distance.
The park itself was founded at the beginning of the last century, and in 1987 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park includes two volcanoes:
– Mauna-Loa (4169 m), the second highest volcano after Mauna Kea (4205 m) in Hawaii;
– Kilauea, 1247 m, the youngest of the terrestrial Hawaiian volcanoes and one of the most active active volcanoes on Earth.
Both volcanoes are thyroid. Mauna loa is the largest volcano in the world, its last eruption occurred in 1984, and the last strong - in 1950. At its summit there is a volcanological station, as well as an atmospheric and solar observatory.
You can climb Mauna Loa, there are hiking routes, but before the ascent you need to register and it is recommended to do a multi-kilometer hiking track with an overnight stay along the way.
Kilauea volcano began to actively erupt at the end of the last century and continues to the present. At the top of Kilauea, a huge gaping caldera 3 by 4 km in size (a vast basin with steep walls and a more or less flat bottom of volcanic origin).
In this basin is located halemaumau Crater... This crater is active, lava is boiling in it and smoke is pouring in a high column.
We will write a couple more lines about this crater later.since specially went to him in the evening to look at his red glow. This glow is not visible during the day.
There, next to the Halemaumau crater is thomas A. Jaggar Museum, he was the first head of the Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory.
The museum itself is small, where you can find information about the nature of Hawaiian volcanoes, about eruptions and studying them, the equipment of volcanologists is also presented there, films are broadcast and you can buy souvenirs for yourself.
Right at the exit from the museum there is an observation deck with panoramic views of halemaumau crater.
The crater is located a couple of kilometers away and visitors are not allowed close to it, because there inside it really boils and erupts lava. There is a parking lot in front of the museum. In the evening, there are usually a huge number of people who want to see the Hawaiian lava.
Interestingly, Hawaiian volcanic eruptions are classified as “quiet”. Erupting, the streams of their incandescent lava do not explode, but slowly flow on gentle slopes, which is why this area is considered one of the safest in the world to observe.
To the question “What if we burn ourselves,” local rangers usually answer with a smile like “Don't worry, you won't be able to step on the hot lava, because approaching it, you will already feel the high temperature and physically cannot approach it, the body itself will not allow it ”.
Unlike volcanoes with a conical shape, Hawaiian volcanoes shield form. The reasons for this: numerous eruptions of lava, which eventually formed a gentle shield. And also the composition of the lava itself (basalt) is a lower viscosity, which makes it possible for the lava to spread over longer distances from the center of its eruption.
Mauna Loa volcano - an excellent example of this, in terms of its volume it is the most massive volcano on Earth, its area covers almost half of the Big Island of Hawaii. The volcano is 112 km long and 48 km wide.
Also, a feature of Hawaiian shield volcanoes is their rift zones... They are cracks and make it possible for lava to erupt away from the center of the volcano. An example of this today is kilauea volcano... He has vent Puu Oo, it is located about 15 km east of the Kilauea crater itself.
Here, in hawaiian Volcanoes National Park you can see the most diverse picture: from lifeless "lunar" landscapes with black solidified lava to dense green almost impenetrable forests (Hawaiian jungle) with huge tree-like giant ferns. There are beaches with black sand and even green ones.
Endangered species of animals and birds are found here. The local nature is graceful on the one hand and insanely harsh on the other. I had a chance to see something similar on one of Canary Islands - Lanzarote.
There, on the island, a volcano once erupted and the area has not yet acquired any vegetation, only small bald patches of moss. But the other part of the island, not touched by the erupting lava, simply glows with greenery, drowns in it. A very original and interesting picture. It is a pity that there are very few photos from that trip to the Canary Islands.
The area of \u200b\u200bthe Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is 1308 sq. km.
It has asphalt roads, the total length of which is more than 100 km, as well as hiking trails (ca 250 km).
Part of the Crater Rim Drive was closed this time. Today we drove by car all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters Road and from it we walked on foot along the frozen lava.
This road was once "flooded" with lava, in certain places "bald spots" are visible - areas of asphalt. Little was taken there, because we were stomping at dusk and decided to leave the camera in the car.
Five volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii are of cultural value to native Hawaiians.
These volcanoes are considered sacred to them and are closely associated with Hawaiian mythology.
Hawaiian legends present kilauea volcano and halemaumau crater as an abode goddess Pele - patroness of fire and volcanoes.
According to Wikipedia: According to the Hawaiians, Pele was the daughter of the goddess Haumea and her husband Moemoe. She was born in a country called Kahiki (possibly Tahiti), located south of the Hawaiian Islands. She had eight sisters and five brothers.
One of the Hawaiian legends tells of the long voyage of the goddess Pele in search of a new land in her canoe Honua-ia-kea. After sailing to Hawaii, Pele tried several times unsuccessfully to find a place for her family's home. Every time she started to dig the ground, it was washed away by water and the family was forced to continue searching. So, according to the ideas of the ancient Hawaiians, numerous volcanic craters appeared on the archipelago, including Diamond Head, Coco, Macapuu, as well as Kilauea on the island of Hawaii, where Pele eventually settled.
The origin of the famous Hawaiian hula dance is also associated with the name of the goddess. One day, while walking with her retinue, Pele saw Hopoe and Jaen, friends of her younger sister Hiiyaka, who were performing a beautiful dance. Subsequently, Pele asked her sisters to repeat the dance, but no one was able to do this except Hiiaka. Since then, Hiiaka became the patroness of the hula dance, and all the prayer songs since then were called either in her honor or in honor of Pele.
Hawaiians revere Pele, presenting her with numerous offerings, and the goddess herself allegedly met people more than once in the form of a beautiful girl.
At the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located information Center... There you can get all the necessary information with maps and brochures about hiking trails, observation platforms, roads and other useful things.
Some of the roads and hiking trails are sometimes closed for safety. And not only because of the eruption of lava, but also because of the large amount of chemical compounds released into the air that are harmful to health.
Himself information Center works anywhere from morning until five in the evening. The entrance to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is paid, something about $ 10 for a car (we don't remember exactly), the payment is valid for several days.
The park is open to visitors all 24 hours, you can walk around it around the clock, but at night it is advisable to have a reliable flashlight with you. on the footpaths there is darkness, and at night there is no way to do without a flashlight.
What to do there in the dark? Look (or rather look for) lava. During the day, it is not visible at all, if only the rising pillars of smoke, but its red glow can just be seen after sunset.
In our next post, we will talk in more detail about what interesting things can be found here in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. Where we were, what we saw and “is there lava in Hawaii”, and if so, where exactly.
And so, our fourth day vacation in Hawaii continued with the fact that we are from Kona safely reached the village by car Volcano Village.
This place is located a couple of kilometers from the entrance to the national park and not so far from the giant volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, which was very convenient for us.
In terms of accommodation, we booked here (through hotels.com or agoda.com, we certainly don't remember) a room in a large, old Hawaiian house. The price was about $ 60 per night, plus breakfast for a fee. I really liked this house as well as its location. We will also tell you about this village separately.
After settling, of course, the first thing we did was to get acquainted with the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. We stayed there until deep darkness in search of lava.
But that is another story. To be continued.
Your restless Nata and Tyoma
Hawaii is on fire - Kilauea volcano has continued to erupt on the Big Island since early May. Due to seismic activity, 13 more volcanoes that surround the archipelago may wake up. Now, near Hawaii, it is impossible not only to fly (the ash of a volcano can clog into aircraft engines), but also to swim, because lava rivers flow into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, forming toxic clouds.
The large island of Hawaii has remained in the disaster zone since the beginning of the month. One of the most active active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea, is raging there.
In three weeks, lava flows spread over 24 kilometers and reached the Pacific Ocean. On contact with lava, seawater boils, forming clouds of acid fumes, water vapor and glassy particles.
Boiling water throws fire fountains and lava fragments into the air. The spray soars up to 30 meters.
However, before reaching the ocean, the lava destroyed about 50 residential buildings and dozens of other buildings on its way.
Due to the eruption from the territory affected by the volcano, more than 2 thousand residents were evacuated and air travel was canceled.
Rivers of lava flowed up to a geothermal power plant that supplies the Big Island with 25% of all electricity. After that the disaster reached the water about 5 kilometers east of the power plant.
On the east coast of the island, you can observe lava fountains that burst from cracks 40 meters deep. Three weeks ago, the cracks erupted less intensely. Volcanologists explained that then the remaining magma from past eruptions came out, and now - fresh lava, whose flows will erupt more powerful 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 eruption of Kilauea lasted for several months, and now history may repeat itself.
The authorities are distributing masks that protect people from volcanic ash. The first victim of the eruption appeared on the island this week. A man standing on a third-floor balcony sustained a severe leg injury from splashing lava.
Now the situation has worsened by the fact that methane began to come out of the ground, it flares up and ignites. At any moment, everything can end in an explosion.
But at the same time, you should not overestimate the scale of the eruption: one of the Reddit users clearly demonstrated them by publishing the following picture.
He is relatively young, but very active. Experts consider it the most active volcano in our time. It has been erupting incessantly since 1983.
General information
The name of the volcano Kilauea translated from Hawaiian means "belching". Its height is 1247 meters, the volcano is located next to its "brother" Manua Loa, but differs from it in lower growth.
The beginning of the last eruption took place on January 3, 1983 and is still ongoing. Since 2011, there has been an intense eruption activity.
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, and it spews out a powerful column of gas and lava. Of course, this is not the only crater of the volcano; the Western and Southeast rift zones are rich in them. There are also two cones with the 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.
Local beliefs
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 shudders of the elements, the tribe of natives, together with the oldest sorcerer, ascend to the top of Kilauea.
The pagans call the lake of lava "the house of eternal fire." Its fiery surface rises, releasing streams 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, then she will be supportive and will not erupt with fiery lava.
Lava products are named after the goddess. For example, "Pele's tears" are called miniature drops of lava, "hair" - strips of lava cooled in the wind, "algae" - flowing lava into the ocean.
Element today
In shape, the volcano belongs to the shield. This means that it was formed as a result of lava emissions. Liquid lava spreads for 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 any climbing skills. Many tourists indulge in this dangerous occupation, risking their own lives. Of course, seeing a volcanic eruption is an incomparable sensation, but we must not forget that being close to the elements is extremely dangerous.
In recent years, lava has destroyed many routes and buildings. Of course, the locals have adapted to their specific living conditions. They set up houses on stilts. Ornito are considered very dangerous - these are vents that release high-temperature gases. The magma around them is unstable, and there is a risk of failure.
Volcano's participation in the construction of 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 summits of vast volcanoes that emerged from the ocean depths. Such a geographical location of the 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 of the local volcanoes have erupted since ancient times, being in the waters of the ocean, and now their tops rise above sea level. Some are so high that they surpass many of the famous mountain peaks.
The exclusivity of the volcano
Scientists emphasize the exclusivity of the Kilauea volcano, calling it the most active volcano in Hawaii. He is currently 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 just an accompanying neighbor of Manua Loa. However, Kilauea was later discovered to have 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 solidified lava, which is less than 1000 years old. The lava areas are interspersed with rock fragments and ash. A significant part of the mountain remains under water.
Eruptions
In January 1983, a violent eruption of the Kilauea volcano began in Hawaii. Lava flows out of a crater called Puu-oo in huge quantities. Such an eruption is considered the largest in the last 5 centuries in the Eastern Rift Zone.
By the end of 2012, lava flows covered 125.5 km 2, thus destroying habitable land. The total area of \u200b\u200bthis territory was 202 hectares. Lava destroyed 214 buildings and destroyed 14.5 km of roads.
The eruption of the Kilauea volcano greatly affects the ecology of neighboring lands. Plants stop growing due to the outpouring of lava, and acid rains are due to the sulfur gases carried by the wind. Especially such rains are frequent in the deserted Southwest rift zone.
Tourist interest
The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii attracts many tourists. It is included in the local National Park, which attracts crowds of connoisseurs of extreme recreation every year.
The park has more than 240 hiking trails. Some of them are light, others are very long. Along one such trail, you can go to the inactive Kilauea crater, which erupted in 1959, cross its bottom, and pass by a crater that was 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 about the life of volcanoes, as well as offer exciting tours for everyone. You can also buy souvenirs here.
This is how it is, the fire-breathing and dangerous volcano Kilauea, attracting both volcanologists and curious tourists from all over the world with its unexplored nature.
