Hawai brings to your mind beaches, sun, volcanoes, lava, tourism, travel and more. The highest mountain in Hawaii, Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is a world away from the tropical paradise below. The summit, which can only be reached in a 4WD vehicle, is often very cold, with snow in the winter months. The Mauna Kea Observatory is an active research facility, which welcomes tourists during daylight hours. Only expert hikers should attempt a climb to the summit on the six-mile trail, which rises to an altitude of 13,800 feet from the Visitor Information Station. Evening stargazing programs, held at the visitor center, which sits at around 9,200 feet, are popular with tourists and locals alike.
Kilauea is sometimes called “the world’s only drive-in volcano.” This prolific volcano produces 250,000-650,000 cubic yards of lava per day-enough to resurface a 20-mile-long, two-lane road each day. As of January 1994, 875 acres of new land have been created on the island of Hawaii. Many locals say that Pele, the volcano goddess who lives here, is very unpredictable. The extraordinary natural diversity of the park was recognized in 1980 when it was named a World Biosphere Site by UNESCO and in 1987 when the park was honored as a World Heritage Site. Steam vents plume from this massive crater, known as the home of Pele, the volcano goddess. In 2008, this crater was filled with a lake of lava that disappeared earlier this year. Seismic activity caused by the crater walls falling into itself created a much larger crater. In May 2018, the Halema?uma?u’s volume was about 70-78 million cubic yards. It is now about 1.2 billion cubic yards. The crater floor has dropped more than 1,600 ft. Great respect should be paid at this sacred site. Also worth noting is that higher elevation near the crater means that temperatures can drop fairly quickly. If you’re coming from the beach in shorts and t-shirt, be sure to pack some warmer items like a light jacket while you’re here.
Once believed to be an offshoot of its large neighbor, Mauna Loa, scientists now have concluded that Kilauea is actually a separate volcano with its own magma-plumbing system, extending to the surface from more than 60 kilometers (over 37 miles) deep in the earth. Kilauea Volcano, on the south-east side of the Big Island, is one of the most active on earth. Major eruptions started in January 1983 and continue to this day. Kilauea has been erupting nearly continuously since 1983 and has caused considerable property damage, including the destruction of the town of Kalapana in 1990, and the destruction of Vacationland Hawaii more recently. The Lower Puna eruptions which began in May of 2018, opened two dozen lava vents in Puna. The earthquake in May 2018 measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale and caused nearly 2,000 residents to be evacuated from the Leilani Estates subdivision and surrounding area.
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Mauna Loa is an active volcano and is due for an eruption. Mauna Loa has erupted 15 times since 1900. These eruptions have lasted from a few hours to 145 days. Since 1950 Mauna Loa has erupted only twice, in 1975 and 1984. The 1975 eruption lasted 1 day. The 1984 eruption lasted 3 weeks. Nearly all the eruptions begin at the summit. About half of these migrate down into a rift zone.