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

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

Hawaiian Volcanoes are national park USA, created 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. This is what Ellis later wrote about the volcano’s caldera: “A sublime and even terrifying spectacle appeared before us. We stopped in awe. Surprise and awe at other moments made us silent, and, like statues, we froze in one place and our eyes were riveted on the abyss that lies below us." The Kilauela caldera looks 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 built a museum on the edge of that caldera. The exhibits include everything related to volcanoes - scientific equipment, clothing used by volcanologists, and so on. Some museum windows offer wonderful views of the Calauela Caldera and Galemaumau Crater. The museum is named after Jagger, who was also the first director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, adjacent to the museum. But the entrance to the observatory is closed to tourists. In the park you can see the results of hundreds of thousands of years of volcanic activity. Which shaped 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 evokes thoughts about the first volcanic landscapes. The park includes 1348 square kilometers.

Volcanoes 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, and smoking craters.

On the territory of the Park there is a volcanological museum, where films are shown free of charge every day. The main attraction of the park is the Kilauea Caldera volcano 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 to approximately 4200m. above sea level, while their foundation rests on the ocean floor, which is still about 4800m. Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain when measured from its base on the ocean floor.

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

He is relatively young, but very active. Experts consider it the most active volcano in our time. It has been erupting continuously since 1983.

General information

The name of the Kilauea volcano means “belching” in Hawaiian. Its height is 1247 meters, the volcano is located next to its “brother” Manua Loa, but differs from it in lower growth.

The last eruption began on January 3, 1983 and has not stopped to this day. Since 2011, there has been intense eruption activity.

At the top of the Kilauea volcano there 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 crater of the volcano; the Western and Southeast rift zones are rich in them. There are also two cones with 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 local residents

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 shock of the elements, a tribe of natives, together with the oldest sorcerer, rises to the top of Kilauea.

Pagans call the lava lake “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 call on Pele and ask him to save them from disaster. The natives believe that if you appease the goddess, she will be favorable 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

The shape of the volcano is classified as a shield volcano. This means that it was formed as a result of lava emissions. 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 any mountaineering skills. Many tourists indulge in this dangerous activity, risking own life. Of course, seeing a volcanic eruption is an incomparable feeling, but we must not forget that being close to the elements is extremely dangerous.

For recent years The lava destroyed many tracks and buildings. Of course, local residents adapted to specific living conditions. They build houses on stilts. Ornithos 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 island construction

An interesting fact is that the Hawaiian Islands themselves were formed as a result of the action of several volcanoes. In essence, the islands are the peaks of vast volcanoes that emerged from the oceanic 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, located in the waters of the ocean, and now their tops rise above sea level. Moreover, 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 in Hawaii. Currently, 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 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 Kilauea's slopes are covered with hardened lava, which is no more than 1000 years old. Lava areas are interspersed with rock fragments and ash. A significant part of the mountain remains under water.

Eruptions

In January 1983, the Kilauea volcano began to erupt in Hawaii. Lava pours out in huge quantities from a crater called Puu-oo. 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, thereby destroying habitable land. Total area such territory amounted to 202 hectares. The 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 lava outpourings, and acid rain occurs due to sulfur dioxide gases carried by the wind. Such rains are especially frequent in the desert Southwest Rift Zone.

Tourist interest

Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii attracts many tourists. It is included in the local National Park, which attracts crowds of extreme recreation enthusiasts every year.

The park has more than 240 trails for tourists. 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 froze 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, and also offer exciting tours to everyone. You can also buy souvenirs here.

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

The soil and rocks under this South Sea island are a very precarious foundation. The Hawaiian archipelago is the result of volcanic activity: its 137 islands are the peaks of underwater volcanoes. This chain lies just along the edge of the great Pacific tectonic plate, which moves 10 cm to the northwest every year. The volcanoes of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are located on the main island, which is locally known as the "Big Island". These are the most active volcanoes on the planet.

The reserve was established on August 1, 1916, and was then called Hawaii National Park. Protected status 1300 sq. km of its area was confirmed in 1961 under its modern name. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park includes a unique ecological system, from black sand ocean beaches to fire-breathing mountains.

Rising 4,169 m above sea level, Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth. Its base goes into one of the deepest depressions Pacific Ocean, adding another 5000 m to the first figure. This means that the total height of Mauna Loa is more than 9100 m, much higher than the height of Mount Everest (8848 m). Mauna Loa's "little brother" is Kilauea. Although it is nowhere near the size of Mauna Loa, Kilauea is the most active volcano on the planet. Both mountains are classified as shield volcanoes, as are most of the volcanoes in Hawaii.

The aborigines have a legend that explains why Kilauea is so restless and sometimes even cruel. Locals believe that Kilauea Crater, Halemaumau, is the home of the fire goddess Pele, a very fiery person. The girl easily loses control of herself and begins to literally spit fire and hot lava anywhere. Then Pele calms down and falls into a blessed sleep. To appease such an ardent goddess or at least moderate her furious anger, the aborigines bring gifts for Pele and leave them on the edge of the crater. This custom is still sacredly observed today.

Geologists, as always, explain Kilauea's tough character in a more pragmatic way. The most popular theory is the so-called hot spot idea. A hot spot is any area that exhibits volcanic activity for a sufficiently long period of time without erupting lava. This theory suggests the presence of huge cavities beneath the Earth's surface, from which magma rises relatively slowly compared to real eruptions. The Pacific tectonic plate floats just above such a giant magma lake. Internal pressure, provoking continental drift, pushes magma to the surface, a new island appears with inevitable volcanic activity. This means that it is not surprising that Kilauae erupts every now and then, throwing thin fountains of lava into the sky day and night.

Facts

• Founding: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was founded on the Hawaiian archipelago on August 1, 1916. Today its area is 1309 square meters. km.
• Elevation: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park rises 4,169 m above sea level at its highest point, Mauna Loa. If you count from its base on the ocean floor, the height of this volcano will be 9100 m.
• Eruptions: Since 1983, Kilauea has not stopped erupting. It has long been considered the most active volcano on the planet.
• List World Heritage UNESCO: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii, USA) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.

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Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on the planet where there is a unique opportunity to watch hot lava erupt from the depths of the earth onto the surface with virtually no risk to life. On its territory is the most majestic volcano on Earth, Mauna Loa, and the most active, Kilauea, and over 3 million travelers come to see them every year.

The park was founded in Hawaii in 1916, and currently covers 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 9100 m, and Kilauea has never stopped erupting since 1983.

Volcanic activity in the protected area manifests itself in geysers, lava flows and tubes, thermal fields, crater pits, black sand beaches and other phenomena. On its territory you can see both tropical vegetation and barren deserts, serving as a habitat for a variety of animals and insects. Including endangered ones, including smiling spiders, hawksbill turtles, carnivorous caterpillars, and nene birds. The park has many Aboriginal archaeological sites, from original structures to rare concentrations of petroglyphs. But the main interest is, of course, the volcanoes.

Volcanoes and what else to see

The difference between the volcanoes of the archipelago is that they belong to the category of “quiet” - the lava erupts smoothly and flows down the slopes in slow waves, and therefore does not pose a danger to the observer. The last eruption of Mauna Loa was recorded in 1984, but Kilauea is constantly active. But the lava flows not from the crater, but at a distance of 15 km from it - through a crack. Over more than 30 years of activity, 3.5 cubic meters were 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 they are represented 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 deserts, jungles and cooled lava fields in a jeep.

Other interesting features of “Hawaiian Volcanoes” include information center; The Thomas Jagger Museum with a gorgeous observation deck, observatory and gift shop; sulfur deposits; huge caves of lava origin, fumaroles (high-temperature steam emissions from volcanic fissures) and the above-mentioned petroglyphs. The park provides hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails and ideal camping opportunities. For lovers active recreation Offers extreme jeep tours, mountain bike rides and helicopter and even small plane 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 Kohn. You can get to the place from these cities by bus or order a transfer from your 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 daily 24 hours a day; Information center opening hours: every day from 7:45 to 17:00. Website (in English).

Majestic volcanoes in Hawaii, Goddess Pele and erupting lava. Lava, where are you?...

Location: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island of Hawaii

As we already mentioned in our previous notes, on Big Island of Hawaii we went for its volcanoes and erupting lava.

(or Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) gives its visitors a unique opportunity to watch volcanic eruptions at a fairly close and at the same time 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.

There are two volcanoes within the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park:

– Mauna Loa (4169 m), the second highest volcano in Hawaii after Mauna Kea (4205 m);

– Kilauea (1247 m), the youngest of Hawaii's land volcanoes and one of the most active active volcanoes on Earth.

Both volcanoes are shield volcanoes. Mauna Loa is the largest volcano in the world by volume, its last eruption occurred in 1984, and the last strong one in 1950. At its top there is a volcanological station, as well as an atmospheric and solar observatory.

You can climb Mauna Loa, there are walking routes there, but you need to register before the climb, and it is recommended to do the multi-kilometer walking trek 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 day. At the top of Kilauea there is a huge gaping caldera measuring 3 by 4 km (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 bubbling in it and smoke is pouring out in a high column.

We will write a couple more lines about this crater a little later., because We specially went to see him in the evening to look at his red glow. During the day this glow is not visible.

There, next to the Halemaumau crater, there is Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, he was the first director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The museum itself is small, where you can find information about the nature of Hawaiian volcanoes, about eruptions and their study, 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 that offers panoramic views of the Halemaumau Crater.

The crater is located a couple of kilometers away and visitors are not allowed close to it, because... there the lava really boils and erupts inside it. There is parking in front of the museum. In the evening there is usually a huge number of people who want to look at the Hawaiian lava.

Interestingly, the eruptions of Hawaiian volcanoes are classified as “quiet”. When erupting, the streams of their hot lava do not explode, but flow slowly on gentle slopes, which is why this area is considered one of the safest in the world for observation.

When asked “What if we get burned,” local rangers usually answer with a smile a la “Don’t worry, you won’t be able to step on hot lava, because.” approaching her you will already feel high temperature and you physically won’t be able to get close to it, your body won’t let you in.”

Unlike volcanoes with a conical shape, they Hawaiian volcanoes shield form. The reasons for this: numerous lava eruptions, which eventually formed a flat shield. And also the composition of the lava itself (basalt) - lower viscosity, which allows the lava to spread over longer distances from the center of its eruption.

Mauna Loa Volcano- an excellent example of this, in terms of volume it is the most massive volcano on Earth, its area covers almost half of the Big Island of Hawaii. The length of the volcano is 112 km, width 48 km.

Another feature of Hawaiian shield volcanoes is their rift zones. They are cracks and allow lava to erupt away from the center of the volcano. An example of this today is Kilauea volcano. He has Puu Oo vent, it is located about 15 km east of the Kilauea crater itself.

Here in national park Hawaiian volcanoes you can see a very diverse picture: from lifeless “lunar” landscapes with black solidified lava to dense green almost impenetrable forests (Hawaiian jungle) with huge giant tree 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 incredibly harsh on the other. I happened to see something similar on one of the Canary Islands - Lanzarote.

There, on the island, a volcano once erupted and the area has still not acquired any vegetation, only small patches of moss. But the other part of the island, not affected by the erupting lava, is simply bursting with greenery, literally choking on it. A very original and interesting picture. It’s a pity that there are very few photos from that trip to the Canaries.

The area of ​​Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is 1308 square meters. km.

It has asphalt roads, the total length of which is more than 100 km, and there are also hiking trails (ca. 250 km).

Part of Crater Rim Drive was closed at this time. Today we drove the car all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters Road and then walked along the hardened lava.

This road was once “flooded” with lava; in certain places “bald patches” are visible – sections of asphalt. We took few photographs there, because... It was already dusk and we decided to leave the camera in the car.

Five volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii are of cultural significance to Native Hawaiians.

These volcanoes are considered sacred to them and are closely associated with Hawaiian mythology.

Hawaiian Legends Presents Kilauea volcano And Halemaumau Crater like a monastery goddess Pele– patroness of fire and volcanoes.

According to Wikipedia: According to Hawaiian beliefs, 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 about the long voyage of the goddess Pele in search of a new land on her canoe Honua-ia-kea. Having sailed to the Hawaiian Islands, Pele tried several times without success to find a place for her family's home. Every time she started digging, she was washed away and the family was forced to continue searching. Thus, according to the ideas of the ancient Hawaiians, numerous volcanic craters appeared on the archipelago, including Diamond Head, Koko, Makapuu, 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 Hiiaka, performing a beautiful dance. Subsequently, Pele asked her sisters to repeat the dance, but no one succeeded in doing this except Hiiaka. From then on, Hiiaka became the patroness of hula dance, and all prayer songs from then on were named either in her honor or in honor of Pele.

The 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 there is information center. There you can get all the necessary information with maps and brochures about hiking routes, observation points, roads and other useful things.

Some roads and hiking trails are sometimes closed for safety. And not only because of the lava eruption, but also because large quantity all sorts of things released into the air chemical compositions, harmful to health.

Myself information center works somewhere from morning until five in the evening. There is a fee to enter the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, about $10 per car (we don’t remember exactly), the payment is valid for several days.

The park is open to visitors 24 hours a day, you can walk around it around the clock, but at night it is advisable to have a reliable flashlight with you, because... On the hiking paths there it is pitch black and at night you can’t get by 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, except for the rising columns 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 holidays in Hawaii continued with the fact that we are from Kona We arrived safely by car to the village 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 don’t remember exactly) a room in a large old Hawaiian house. The price per night was something like $60, plus breakfast for an additional fee. I really liked this house as well as its location. We will also tell you about this village separately.

After checking in, of course, the first thing we did was to explore the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park. We stayed there until deep darkness in search of lava.

But that's another story. To be continued.

Your restless Nata and Tyoma