Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii, USA) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.
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The Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on the planet where there is a unique opportunity to observe, practically without risk to life, how incandescent lava erupts from the bowels of the earth to the surface. On its territory is the most majestic volcano on Earth, Mauna Loa, and the most active one - Kilauea, and over 3 million travelers come to see them every year.
The park was founded in Hawaii in 1916 and currently has an area of approximately 1,300 square meters. km. In 1987, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, but it has been of interest among tourists and scientists since the 19th century.
The Mauna Loa volcano reaches a height of 9,100 m, and Kilauea has never stopped erupting since 1983.
Volcanic activity in the protected area is manifested in geysers, lava flows and pipes, thermal fields, crater pits, black sand beaches and other phenomena. On its territory you can see both tropical vegetation and barren deserts, which serve as a habitat for a variety of animals and insects. Including the endangered ones, among which are smiling spiders, biss turtles, carnivorous caterpillars, nene birds. The park has many Aboriginal archaeological sites, from original structures to the rarest concentrations of petroglyphs. But the main interest is, of course, volcanoes.
Volcanoes and what else to see
The difference between the volcanoes of the archipelago is that they belong to the category of "quiet" - lava erupts smoothly and flows down the slopes in slow waves, therefore it does not pose a danger to the observer. The last eruption of Mauna Loa was recorded in 1984, but Kilauea is constantly active. But lava flows not from the crater, but at a distance of 15 km from it - through a crack. For more than 30 years of activity, 3.5 cubic meters of water have been ejected from the bowels of Kilauea. km of lava. The volcanoes of the park are considered a sacred place for local residents and in their mythology are presented as the abode of the deities of wind, lightning and fire.
In the park, you can not only observe the activity of volcanoes, but also organize trekking or ride through the deserts, jungles and cooled lava fields in a jeep.
Other highlights of the Hawaiian Volcanoes include the Information Center; Thomas Jagger Museum with a chic observation deck, observatory and gift shop; sulfur deposits; huge caves of lava origin, fumaroles (steam emissions of high temperature from volcanic fractures) and the aforementioned petroglyphs. The park provides hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails and ideal camping opportunities. Fans of outdoor activities are offered extreme jeep tours, mountain biking and helicopter and even small airplane flights over volcanoes, beaches, valleys and waterfalls.
Practical information
The park is located in the southeastern region of the Big Island of Hawaii, 48 km from the city of Hilo and 154 km from the city of Kon. You can get to the place from these cities by buses or order a transfer from the hotel.
For those by car: the N11 highway leads to the park. Exact coordinates: 19.418956; 155.301740.
Entrance to the territory is free, but you will have to pay for a car or bicycle (information on the website). The park is open every day, 24 hours a day; information center working hours: every day from 7:45 to 17:00. Website (in English).
He is relatively young, but very active. Experts consider it the most active volcano in our time. Its incessant eruption has been going on 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 stature.
The beginning of the last eruption took place on January 3, 1983 and still does not stop. 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, it spews out a powerful column of gas and lava. Of course, this is not the only crater of the volcano; the Western and Southeastern 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 other - 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 flame." 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 catastrophe. 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 climbing skills. Many tourists indulge in this dangerous activity, 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.
Participation of the volcano in the process of building 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. This 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 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 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 most voluminous in the last 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 this territory was 202 hectares. Lava destroyed 214 buildings and liquidated 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 desert Southwest rift zone.
Tourist interest
Volcano Kilauea 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.
The park contains two of the most active volcanoes in the world - Mauna Loa (height 4.170 m) and Kilauea. Volcanic eruptions create an ever-changing landscape, lava flows form amazing geological formations. The park is a habitat for rare species of birds; unique forests of giant ferns grow here.
The Hawaiian Islands are crowned with an underwater volcanic ridge and are the tallest active volcanoes on earth. Volcanic activity on the largest island in the archipelago, the island of Hawaii, continues to this day. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located here.
Hawaiian Volcanoes is a US national park established in 1916 on the island of Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands.
Kilauela Volcano, the park's main volcano, is traditionally considered the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele. Hawaiians visited 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 volcano's caldera: “A sublime and even terrifying spectacle appeared before us. the abyss that lies below us. " 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 not been able to calm down since 1983. Thomas Jagger set up a museum on the edge of that caldera. Exhibits include everything related to volcanoes - scientific equipment, clothing used by volcanologists, and so on. Some of the museum's windows offer a wonderful view of the Calauela caldera and the Galemaumau crater. The museum is named after Jagger, who was also the first head 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 the islands themselves and their ecological system. The park covers all heights - from sea level to the top of the island - the Mauna Loa volcano (4169). And the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active, gives scientists information about the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and brings up thoughts about the first volcanic landscapes. The park covers 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 for free. The main attraction of the park is the volcano Kilauea Caldera with its steamy cracks, sulfur fumes and periodic eruptions. Its two neighbors, the less active Mauna Loa volcano and the dormant Mauna Kea volcano, rise at about 4200m. above sea level, while their foundation rests on the ocean floor, and this is still about 4800m. Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its foot on 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 like a huge black river, blocking the roads, and forms a bizarre coastline. Where the lava enters the ocean, steam rises in the air and arches form. The unusual landscape and its desolation creates the feeling as if you were on the edge of the earth.
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is famous for its volcanic activity. Here you can observe how landscapes and landscapes are changing 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 species of birds; unique forests of giant ferns grow here.
The Hawaiian Islands are crowned with an underwater volcanic ridge and are the tallest active volcanoes on earth. Volcanic activity on the largest island in the archipelago, the island of Hawaii, continues to this day. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located here.
Hawaiian Volcanoes is a US national park established in 1916 on the island of Hawaii, the largest of the Hawaiian Islands.
Kilauela Volcano, the park's main volcano, is traditionally considered the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele. Hawaiians visited 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 volcano's caldera: “A sublime and even terrifying spectacle appeared before us. the abyss that lies below us. " 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 not been able to calm down since 1983. Thomas Jagger set up a museum on the edge of that caldera. Exhibits include everything related to volcanoes - scientific equipment, clothing used by volcanologists, and so on. Some of the museum's windows offer a wonderful view of the Calauela caldera and the Galemaumau crater. The museum is named after Jagger, who was also the first head 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 the islands themselves and their ecological system. The park covers all heights - from sea level to the top of the island - the Mauna Loa volcano (4169). And the Kilauea volcano, one of the most active, gives scientists information about the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and brings up thoughts about the first volcanic landscapes. The park covers 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 for free. The main attraction of the park is the volcano Kilauea Caldera with its steamy cracks, sulfur fumes and periodic eruptions. Its two neighbors, the less active Mauna Loa volcano and the dormant Mauna Kea volcano, rise at about 4200m. above sea level, while their foundation rests on the ocean floor, and this is still about 4800m. Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from its foot on 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 like a huge black river, blocking the roads, and forms a bizarre coastline. Where the lava enters the ocean, steam rises in the air and arches form. The unusual landscape and its desolation creates the feeling as if you were on the edge of the earth.
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is a vivid evidence of the activity of volcanic processes that took place over 70 million years, as a result of which the Hawaiian Islands were formed with a unique complex of ecosystems. The park includes 1,309 km2 of territory stretching from sea level to the peaks of the largest volcanoes on the planet: Mauna Loa with an altitude of 4169 m and Kilauea, the most active volcano in the world, giving scientists an understanding of the origin of the Hawaiian Islands, and for tourists it serves as a viewing point of unique volcanic landscapes.
The park's climate is varied, from tropical rain forests to the arid and barren Cau Desert. About half of the national park is wilderness, intended for hiking and camping. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980, and in 1987 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The unique landscapes of the park attract about 2.5 million tourists annually.
History of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The first Westerner, English missionary William Ellis and American Asa Thurston, visited the Kilauea volcano in 1823. Ellis describes his first impression of the erupting volcano in the following way: “Before our eyes there was an amazing, even terrifying sight. We stopped and trembled with fear. Surprise and fear fettered us for several minutes, and, like statues, we froze motionless, our eyes were riveted to the abyss below. " Since that time, millions of tourists have visited the Hawaiian Volcanoes Park to watch the movement of incandescent lava flows. Numerous eruptions and lava flows attract both specialists and scientists and ordinary travelers here.
Since the 1840s, the Kilauea volcano has become a tourist attraction. Local businessmen Benjamin Pitman and George Lycurgus have built hotels here to receive tourists. William R. Castle first proposed the idea of the park in 1903 to Lorrin Thurston, who at the time owned the Honolulu Advertiser. In 1907, 50 members of Congress and their families visited Hawaii. They visited the volcanoes Halikala and Kilauea, where lunch was prepared for them on steaming lava outlets. Hawaii Governor Walter Freher proposed a bill in 1911 to create the Kilauea National Park. Thurston and local landowner William Herbert Shipman outlined the proposed boundaries of the park, but ran into opposition from the ranchers in the area. Then Thurston enlisted the support of one of the most famous conservationists John Muir, then famous statesman and historian Henry Cabot and former US President Theodore Roosevelt. After several unsuccessful attempts, the park bill was eventually approved. Congress Resolution 9525 was signed by Woodrow Wilson on August 1, 1916. It became the 11th National Park in the United States and the first in Hawaii. It was originally called Hawaii National Park, and on September 22, 1960, it split from Halekala National Park and was named Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In 2004, an additional 468.58 km2 was added to the territory of the national park, thus increasing it by 56%. It was the largest land purchase in Hawaii history. The site was acquired for $ 21.9 million.
The Hawaiian Islands were formed in the ocean millions of years ago due to volcanic processes. Today, the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park on the large island of Hawaii is one of the few places on the planet where a person can come face to face with an active volcano. The park provides a risk-free opportunity to explore Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, making Hawaii one of the largest tourist destinations in the world.
Most of the world's volcanoes are conical in shape. In contrast, Hawaii is dominated by shield volcanoes, which were formed as a result of numerous eruptions of liquid lava that formed a gentle shield. The shield shape is inherent in volcanoes ejecting basaltic lava, as it tends to have a lower viscosity and spreads out over distant distances from the eruption site. A good example of such volcanoes is Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on the planet by volume, covering half of the largest island in Hawaii.
Today, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the number one attraction on the islands. It is a real living museum, where visitors can personally see the power of the underground forces of nature. Here you can feel the supernatural power of nature as you travel along rocky trails and desert areas that will eventually become lush with vegetation and form various forms of life.
There are currently three active volcanoes in Hawaii. Maunaloa and Kilauea are located in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. Another volcano, Loihi, is located underwater on the southern coast of Hawaii's Big Island. Erupting since 1996, it could create a new island tens of thousands of years later and add 9 islands to the Hawaiian island chain. Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on the planet in terms of volume and area covered with lava, and one of five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaii. The Hawaiian name Mauna Loa means Long Mountain. Erupting lava is scarce in silicon, and therefore liquid and fluid. As a result, eruptions are generally non-explosive and the volcano has a relatively gentle slope.
The most recent eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano occurred from March 24 to April 15, 1984. Its recent emissions have caused no casualties, but the eruptions of 1926 and 1950 destroyed many nearby villages. Mauna Loa has been intensively controlled by the Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory since 1912. Observations are made at the Mauna Loa Observatory, located near its summit.
Kilauea is the youngest of the volcanoes on the large island of Hawaii, having formed over the past 100 years. Its caldera is surrounded by a 17 km road that provides easy access to the fantastic attractions it contains. For visitors to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is the number one attraction for a number of reasons: it is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet, providing an excellent opportunity to witness the amazing spectacle of lava movement, and it is relatively safe to visit as its eruptions are not explosive.
Kilauea's name in Hawaiian means "throws away" or "scatters a lot." The height of the volcano reaches 1247 m, and the caldera is almost 5 km long and about 3.6 km wide. Lava has continuously flowed out of the volcano since January 3, 1983. Kilauea is currently the most active volcano on the planet and an invaluable resource for volcanologists. It is also considered the most visited volcano on the planet. The volume of lava flowing out of the volcano is sufficient to make a road around the earth's surface three times. Kilauea is the latest in a series of volcanoes that formed the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Kilauea Volcano and its caldera have traditionally been considered the sacred home of Pele, the goddess of Hawaiian volcanoes. From time immemorial, Haitians have visited this crater to give their lavish gifts to the goddess. Legends say that eruptions occur when the goddess is angry. Such concepts are included in tribal chants and are often used by the natives of the islands. In 1790, a detachment of warriors of the local tribe, along with women and children who were in this area, fell under an unusually powerful volcanic eruption. Many died, while others left their footprints on the lava, which can be clearly seen today.
Hawaiian volcanoes are marked in the history of the Hawaiian Islands. On the territory of the park in 1923, the first take-off platform in Hawaii was built, designed to receive aircraft. In the 1930s, the Hawaiian Volcanoes Park operated a civilian environmental protection corps whose main goal was to preserve the park's natural resources. The infrastructure of the national park created in those years is used to this day. The scars of World War II are visible in areas where military pilots practiced bombing. On the territory of the Kilauea military camp, captured soldiers of the Second World War were held.
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park preserves the culture of the island's local people and preserves numerous archaeological sites - tangible reminders of the indigenous people forever associated with this land.
