HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical geography

Context:

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed eruptive activity in Kīlauea summit.

Details:

An eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the down dropped block to the east in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Kīlauea:

Location: Island of Hawaii (Southern part of the island)
Elevation: 1,222 (m) 4,009 (f)
Volcano type: Shield volcano
Composition: Basalt
Nearby towns: Volcano, Pāhoa, Kalapana, Mountain View
Kilauea is among the world’s most active volcanoes.
Geography of Kīlauea:
- Topographically Kīlauea appears as only a bulge on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa.
- Study finds that Kīlauea has its own magma-plumbing system, extending to the surface from more than 60 km deep in the earth.
Other volcanoes on the island: Mauna Kea, Kohala, Kama‘ehuakanaloa (formerly Lō‘ihi) and Mauna Loa.

What are shield volcanoes?

A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a warrior’s shield lying on the ground.
It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava erupted from a stratovolcano.
Repeated eruptions result in the steady accumulation of broad sheets of lava, building up the shield volcano’s distinctive form.
Shield volcanoes are found wherever fluid low-silica lava reaches the surface of a rocky planet.
However, they are most characteristic of ocean island volcanism associated with hot spots or with continental rift volcanism.
They include the largest volcanoes on earth, such asTamu Massif and Mauna Loa.
Giant shield volcanoes are found on other planets of the Solar System, including Olympus Mons on Mars and Sapas Mons on Venus.

For details of Volcanoes: https://optimizeias.com/where-mauna-loa-hawaiis-biggest-volcano-will-erupt-from/