Alohacyberian of Hawaii

- Kilauea -

Travels with Keith Martin

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A Fiery Eruption


Kilauea Fountain
Kilauea Eruption 1984
Click for LARGE Photo

• Photograph of a spectacular lava fountain rising 1750 feet into the air from an eruption of the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. To see information about all the volcanoes on the Big Island as well as the overall geography of The Big Island of Hawaii click here. To go to the Hawaii Geography Page click here. You may open all of the photographs on this webpage in a separate window by clicking on the individual pictures. Be sure to "Bookmark" or "Add to Favorites" if you think you might want to return to this webpage in the future.

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Kilauea Lava Falls

A "lavafall" of molten magma, similar to a waterfall, plunges over a cliff (pali) and rushes into the Pacific Ocean creating huge steam clouds. Look below to see several more photographs of steam rising from the Pacific Ocean as Kilauea's molten lava enters the water.

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12/12/2003

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• Kilauea is the youngest and southeastern most volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Topographically Kilauea appears as only a bulge on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa, and so for many years Kilauea was thought to be a mere satellite of its giant neighbor, not a separate volcano. However, research over the past few decades shows clearly that Kilauea has its own magma-plumbing system, extending to the surface from about 20,000 feet deep in the earth.

In fact, the summit of Kilauea lies on a curving line of volcanoes that includes Mauna Kea and Kohala but, excludes Mauna Loa Volcano. That is to say, Kilauea is to Mauna Kea as Loihi, the underwater volcano, is to Mauna Loa.

The current and constant eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began in 1983 and continues at the cinder-and-spatter cone of Puu Oo, which in Hawaiian means "highpoint of the sky" or "the sky's zenith". Lava erupting from that cone flows through a tube system down Pulama Pali about 8 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Click here to see a photo of lavafalls at Pulama Pali on the Big Island of Hawaii. To see an underground map of Kilauea Volcano and the lava tube to the ocean, click here. To read an explanation of the map, look at the text just below the two following photographs.

MOLTEN LAVA FALLING AND FLOWING TO THE PACIFIC
Pulama Pali Lavafall
Click for larger, detailed photo

MOLTEN LAVA ENTERING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Steam Rises as Molten Lava Enters the Pacific Ocean
Click to see a larger, more detailed picture

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Puu Oo Fountain Eruption
Molten Lava, Cinder, Ash and Sulfur Dioxide Erupt into the Air
Click to view a much larger, more detailed photograph

Above a Kilauea Lava Fountain which is 300 meters (985 feet) high from the Puu Oo Cinder and Spatter Cone which spews a continuous outpouring of lava, cinder, smoke and copious amounts of sulfer dioxide gas into the atmosphere - which mixes with dust particles and creates vog, Pele's counterpart to smog. See below for more specifics regarding vog and farther down the page to read more information about the volcano Goddess, Pele.

Vog Enters the Atmosphere from the Puu Oo Vent
Kilauea Belches Smoke that Becomes Vog
Click for larger, more detailed photo

When sulfur dioxide (SO2)gas is released, it reacts chemically with sunlight, oxygen, dust particles, and water in the air to form a mixture of sulfate (S04-2) aerosols (tiny particles and droplets), sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and other oxidized sulfur species. Together, this gas and aerosol mixture produces a hazy atmospheric condition known as volcanic smog, better known in Hawaii as "vog."

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To see an underground map of Kilauea Volcano and the lava tube to the ocean, click here.

This simplified cutaway view (not to scale) of Kilauea Volcano shows the pathway of molten rock during the eruption of Puu Oo, located on the east rift zone about 15 miles from the caldera. Molten lava moves from the magma reservoir beneath the caldera through the east rift zone to Puu Oo. When molten rock erupts as lava from Puu Oo, it flows either onto the surface or through a lava-tube system about 8 miles to the sea and sometimes surface eruptions and fountains also flow to the ocean.

During episode 54 on January 30, 1997, lava erupted from Napau Crater about 3 miles uprift from Puu Oo. The rift zone widened about six feet in Napau and a little over a foot wider almost 2 miles uprift, as magma forced a pathway to the surface. Chemical studies of lava samples from episode 54 indicate that two separate and distinct bodies of magma, stored in the rift zone near Napau Crater for many years, supplied lava for the eruptive activity. The caldera was the site of nearly continuous activity during the 1800s and the early part of this 1900s. Since 1952 there have been 34 eruptions, and beginning in January of 1983 eruptive activity has been continuous along the east rift zone of Kilauea up to the present day. Kilauea is considered by many volcanologists to be the planet's most active volcano.

Kilauea at Quake Time
Puu Oo recedes after 2007 Earthquakes
Click for Wallpaper-Sized Photo

The photo above was taken on the weekend of June 15, 2007 and is the Puu Oo vent which is the same as the 1,750 foot high lava fountain pictured at the top of this page. To view pictures taken before the 2007 earhquakes which are wallpaper sized photos of the steaming Puu Oo vent, click here. During that weekend and in the aftermath, the Big Island of Hawaii was shaken by over a thousand small earthquakes, most of which centered on the upper East Rift Zone of mighty and unpredicable Kilauea Volcano. An intrusion of magma collecting beneath the rift between Pauahi and Makaopuhi craters about 1 to 2 miles deep caused most of the earthquakes. (See quake map below) Coinciding with the tremors was a dramatic decrease in the lava feeding the Puu Oo Vent which could cause a pause in episode 56 eruptions. The Petunia lava flow, which began in mid-May of 2007, continues to push toward the southeast . (See photo beneath the quake map just below.) The upper part of the Petunia lava flow has already evolved into a well-developed lava tube that transports lava downslope to feed the terminus of the lengthening flow. Lava continues to enter the ocean at the Poupou location within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In January of 1997 a magma intrusion created new eruption sites in and northeast of Napau Crater and lava spewed for 22 hours. A 30-day pause in lava flow at the Pu'u O'o vent also occurred. And again in September of 1999 A magma intrusion generated a swarm of small earthquakes, resulting in an 11-day pause in lava flow at the Pu'u O'o vent, but no new eruption sites. After the June 2007 series of earthquakes, the rift zone is about 39 inches (1 meter) wider. The photo above was taken June 18, 2007 and the map below illustrates the seismic activity while the photo beneath the quake map illustrates the Petunia flow.

Quake Zone Map
Map of Kilauea's Chain of Craters

Click for Larger Map


To see a map of the Kilauea Caldera Kilauea Volcano's Southwest Rift Zone and the entire East Rift Zone, click here.
To see a 1960 Map of Kilauea Volcano prior to the eruption of the Puu Oo Vent [Pu'u O'o Vent] and the 2007 Petunia Lava Flow, click here.

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The Petunia Lava Flow
The New 2007 Petunia Lava Flow

Click for Widescreen Wallpaper-sized Photo

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Hawaiian mythology holds that Kilauea Volcano is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess and volcano goddess who can change at will from a withered old woman to a ravishing young beauty. Even modern day Hawaiians tell of great misfortune after removing Pele's sacred rocks from Kiluaea. Hawaiian chants and oral traditions tell in veiled form of many eruptions fomented by an angry Pele prior to the arrival of the first European, the missionary Reverend William Ellis, who saw the summit in 1823. Below are many photographs of Pele's fury and Kilauea's eruptions followed by links to 4 videos which illustrate eruptions of Kilauea Volcano as well as links to other volcano resources worldwide.

At night, a stream of hot lava wends its way from Kilauea to the ocean.
Kilauea Lava Stream
Kilauea Lava Stream

Smoke, Steam and Fog = Vog
Smoke and Steam (Vog) Rising from Kilauea Caldera

Click for Wallpaper-Size Photograph


Molten Lava Creates Geyser
Steam Geyser

Click to Enlarge Photo

Lava Drips into the Pacific
Lava Drips into the Ocean

Click for Bigger Picture

Molten Lava Drips Glows and Cools in the Moonlight
Molten Lava Cools, Hardens and Glows Beneath a Full Moon

Click for the Big Picture
Large Enough for Widescreen Wallpaper

Kilauea Lava Falls
Kilauea Lava Falls

Click for Larger Photo


Rivers of Molten Lava from Kilauea Volcano
Kilauea Lava Streams
Lava Rivers from Puu Oo Vent

Lava erupts from Kilauea's Puu Oo Cone.
Kilauea Lava Cone
Eruptions from Kilauea Lava Cone

Volcano Watch is a weekly newsletter written by the scientists at the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. It is published in the Sunday Hawaii Tribune-Herald newspaper and the Monday West Hawaii Today newspaper, and posted online the following Monday or Tuesday depending on Monday holidays. While the updates are primarily addressed to the residents of the Big Island of Hawaii, some articles may have broader scopes. Topics may range from volcanic features on the Big Island, volcanic hazards, informational subjects regarding, say, Long Valley, Montserrat and Alaska, to matters regarding the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. To read this week's Volcano Watch update, click here.

To learn more about Kilauea Volcano, the other volcanoes of Hawaii, the United States and the world, click here. To go directly to the official website for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, click here.

• To see more information about all the volcanoes on the Big Island as well as the overall geography of The Big Island of Hawaii click here. To go to the Hawaii Geography Page click here. • To see more volcano information and photos on the Big Island of Hawaii Page click here.

More Photos of Kilauea Volcano

Kilauea Lava Shower

Click to open pictures in separate widescreen wallpaper-sized windows.

Kilauea Lava Cascade

Kilauea Lava Enters the Ocean

Kilauea Eruption 7/7/2008

Kilauea Littoral Explosion

Click on the 5 Photos Above to see Widescreen Wallpaper Pictures

River of Kilauea Lava

Kamoamoa Lava Tube

Click to Enlarge Photo

Cooling Lava

Puu Oo Lava Snakes its way to the Sea

Puu Oo Eruption and Lava Streams

Puu Oo Fountain and Lava Flow

Kilauea Lava Flow

Kilauea Littoral Explosion

Click to Enlarge to Widescreen Wallpaper Size

Kilauea Spattering Molten Lava
Click to enlarge Picture to Wallpaper Size

A'a Pahoepahoe
Click to Enlarge Photo to Wallpaper Size

Above the Puu Oo Vent
Click to Enlarge to Wallpaper Size

Eruption of the Puu Oo Vent in 1983

Click on Picture to Enlarge

Kilauea Volcano Lava Falls

Click to Enlarge Photograph

Molten Lava Streams into the Ocean

Click to Enlarge Photo

Puu Oo Kupaianaha Skylight

Click to Enlarge Picture

Lava Falls and Cascades into the Pacific and Steam Rises

Click to Enlarge Photograph

Kamoamoa Bench at Dawn

Click to Enlarge Photo

Kamoamoa Bench Wanes

Click Picture to Enlarge

Kupapau Lava Enters the Ocean

Click on Photo to Enlarge

Lava River from Hardened Crust Cave

Kilauea Lava Flow

Kilauea Eruption

Kilauea Lava Shower

Click Above to Enlarge to Widescreen Wallpaper

Kilauea Fountain

Volcanic Lava Cools and Hardens to Crust on the Outside

Pahoehoe

Kilauea Lava Lake - Kilauea Caldera
Click to Enlarge Photograph

Kilauea Lava Streams

Kilauea Eruption

Kilauea Lava Fall

Kilauea Lava Fountain

Steam Rises from Molten Lava Entering the Ocean

Molten Lava Entering the Ocean Spatters and Creates Clouds of Steam

Molten Lava Entering the Ocean Spatters and Creates Clouds of Steam

Kilauea Eruption

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• To look at an old black and white photo showing smoke and ash spewing from Kilauea Volcano just prior to erupting in 1924, click here.

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• To view a video of a restored U.S. Government film of the Kilauea volcanic eruptions of 1959 and 1960 (10 minutes) click here.

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• To watch a 3 minute video of Kilauea Lava shooting into the sky and eventually entering the ocean, click here.

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• To see a 2 minute educational video of volcanic eruptions click, here.

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• To watch another 2 minute video of Kilauea's molten lava cascading off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean, click, here.

• To look at a 45 second video of molten lava from Kilauea Volcano, click, here.

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• To explore almost any science topic that comes to mind, such as fossils, astronomy and volcanology, click here to view the Sciences Page including photos of volcanos worldwide as well as information regarding volcanoes around the globe.

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EXPLORE THE SCIENCES PAGE
Sciences Page
Bookmark this page or Add to Favorites if you want to return in the future.

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Click on the links below to visit Niihau - the Forbidden Island where the only pure Hawaiians still live; take virtual field trips on the island of Kahoolawe, the Forgotten Island which has been uninhabited since the federal government claimed it to use for a practice bombing range during the Second World War, WWII; view the geography page for geographical information and geology regarding the individual Hawaiian Islands; explore Hawaiian music and Polynesian music and look at the stats page to find Hawaii statistics.

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THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
• The Big Island of Hawaii Page

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THE ISLANDS PAGE
The Islands Page

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Surf to the Site Map!
Surf to the Sitemap

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SAIL TO THE HOMEPAGE
Sail to the Homepage

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General information and many photographs regarding the forty plus species of sharks in Hawaiian waters who pose little threat to human beings. The sharks that have posed the most hazards in Hawaii have been the galapagos sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, gray reef sharks and tiger sharks. While great white sharks can be dangerous, they do not frequent Hawaiian waters in great numbers because of their feeding habits. For more info about which shark species are the most aggressive and the most dangerous, more photographs, fascinating facts, shark research, safety tips, suggested reading and links to more shark websites, click, here. "Mako" means shark in Hawaiian. Another Hawaiian word is "mano" for various kinds of sharks, such as mano kihikihi for hammerhead sharks.

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Hawaiian Language Translations and Translators
as well as translators and dictionaries for 150 other languages, click here.
TRANSLATORS AND DICTIONARIES FOR 150 LANGUAGES!
Language Translators
The original language of Hawaii was Hawaiian which is a Polynesian tongue similar to some other Pacific Island languages. Even today a great deal of Hawaiian music is sung in the native lyric and melodic Hawaiian Language. To use dictionaries of the Hawaiian language and language translators for translating 150 other languages, including other Polynesian and Native American tongues, click here. There is also a dictionary of computer terminology as well as E-mail, chat room and instant messenger language translators.

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