Geology & Landforms
Kilauea & Mauna Loa Volcanoes: Halemaumau Crater: Punalu'u Beach:
Volcanoes are the main attraction to this national park, and are what made up the Hawaiian islands. The volcanoes are not located where two tectonic plates meet, but instead are created by hot spots in the Earth's mantle.
Kilauea and Mauna Loa are the two volcanoes located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. These two volcanoes are two of the most active volcanoes in the world, and they produce fiery fountains, and rivers of molten lava, that, over time, build up on one another. Kilauea volcano has the longest on going rift volcanic action in all of Hawaii. Every minute 130,000 gallons of lava gush from cracks on the volcanoes flank. This amount of lava is enough to cover Washington DC's 63 square miles in 5 days. Also, everyday Kilauea emits more than 2,500 tons of sulfur dioxide in to the are, which is a very noxious gas, making it unsafe to be in the area for too long. The park is constantly growing, because of the ongoing volcanic activity; whenever lava meets the sea, it causes the big island of Hawaii to grow. |
Halemaumau Crater is a very popular tourist attraction at the park, but did not always look as it does today. Today, steam vents plume from the crater, which used to be a lake of lava.
The Halemaumau crater changed drastically in the 20th century. The crater was only 1,500 feet in diameter, but was filled with a lake of lava that boiled at 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The lava eventually drained, and what remains is the crater. The White-Tailed tropicbird can often be spotted at the crater as well. Although the bird feeds at sea, it nests in the walls of the crater. This attraction can be well viewed from the overlook at the Thomas A. Jaggar museum, in the park, where it is seen by many each day. |
The Punalu'u Beach is located just south of the park, and is a black sand beach. The beach's black sand is made out of basalt, and the beach has this sand because of the volcanic activity at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Different wildlife can often be seen at Punalu'u beach, including the hawksbill, and green sea turtles, that come on to the black shores. The water at the beach is not great for swimming though. The ground underneath the ocean is really rocky. Although, there is freshwater that runs through the salt water, making it look like gasoline mixing in the ocean. |