The summit of the
Mauna Loa peaks
well over 4000 meters. At its flank the
ESRL observatory measures the CO2 content in the earth atmosphere.
Kilauea is
a shield volcano. Between 1983 and 2018 the volcano has been extremely active, creating earthquakes, towering ash plumes and
spectacular lava fountains. Rivers of lava swallowed complete villages and other property before flowing into the ocean.The
coastline was extended by more than a kilometer.
The park sports rugged shorelines, the barren
Ka'u Desert and on the
eastflank wet tropical rainforests.
The visitor center sits at the rim of the Kilauea caldera. Within that caldera lurks the impressive
Halema'uma'u Crater
that erupted many times this century.
According to Hawaiian legend this is where
Madame Pele, the mighty Volcano Goddess lives.
Down
the eastern slope is another active vent, the
Pu'u O'o. Its lava flows have destroyed everything in its way,
including parts of a coastal road.
You can board a helicopter in Hilo and fly right over the red stuff and see it flow
in the ocean, creating huge steam clouds.
The USGS has several webcams in the area, you can check them out
here.
We visited the
park several times, lastly in 2001.
