Kiueea And The Volcanoes

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Kilauea is the youngest volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Still active, there have been 34 eruptions since 1983. Kilauea is a shield volcano, meaning it covers a wide range of area, and has sloping sides. Kilauea is usually confused as being a smaller part to the neighboring Mauna Loa volcano, but it has it’s own lava flow system which makes it special to the Hawaiian islands. The history of eruptions from Kilauea is lengthy and the volcano’s name actually means, “spewing.” The oldest documented samples of lava date back almost 3,000 years and the oldest human documented eruption happened in 1823.
The caldera at the Kilauea summit crater has a lava lake, continuously smoking. The crater is named “Pu’u O’o” and is called a spatter cone, which is a typical cone that is associated with volcanoes with highly fluid magma. The partial liquid molten rock that splashes down the sides of the cone is called “spatter.” This constant state of lava has an incredible impact on the eco system around the volcano. Growing ecosystems are often interrupted by sulfur dioxide, which is produced by the volcano. This produces acid rains south of the volcano in an area known as the Ka’u Desert. This desert is filled with tephra, which is volcanic fragmental material that is made during an eruption. Ironically the opposite happens around other areas of the volcano and island where volcanic soil and rich volcanic elements provide an environment for wildlife to flourish.
Another key geological phenomenon is the vast ecosystems that thrive off of the volcano. The southernmost ecosystem lies within the Hawaii Volcano National Park and is host to an extensive assortment of bird species including the endangered ‘akepa, ‘akiapola’ay, nene, ‘ua’u, and...

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...ad steam rising from it and vegetation was sparse. It was scary, but thrilling at the same time. Less than a mile away was the caldera and it was very surreal knowing that within running distance was volcanic lava boiling beneath the surface of the Earth waiting to one day erupt again. The ground was flat and cracked all around. We turned back up the dirt path to head up the trail into the foliage of the forest again, finally finding our way back after over an hour of searching and pondering. The Hawaiian islands are unlike any other place in the word in person. So much foliage and wildlife exists that you cannot find anywhere else, and each island is unique in its own little way without any controversy. This experience with my husband showed me how geologically diverse a given area of land can be and how nature can affect an ecosystem over a long period of time.

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