All about Mount Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world
Do you know how gas bubbles develop inside soda bottles? The pressure in the bottle builds up when it is shaken vigorously. Opening the bottle after that will release the pressure and forcefully throw all the contents out. Volcanic eruptions occur in the same manner within a volcano. The hot lava, ash and gases are pushed out when the volcano erupts under pressure. You have learnt about active (erupting or likely to erupt) volcanoes, such as Mount Etna in Italy and Mount Fuji in Japan, in your geography classes. Do you know which volcano is the most active in modern Hawaii? It is Mount Kilauea, situated in the southeast of the island of Hawaii in the United States. It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The volcano in this mountain has typically erupted every two to three years during the past 200 years! Here is all you need to know about it.
Halema’uma’u, the most active crater
The main floor of the volcanic depression on Mount Kilauea has had many episodes of lava filling and collapse throughout the 19th century. By 1919, it reached its current depth of 500 feet, forming the Halema’uma’u (‘Fern House’)! Halema’uma’u is the most active crater in Kilauea. It is covered with recent lava flows. The regular eruptions of Kilauea are mostly nonexplosive. They are confined within the Halema’uma’u crater as a boiling lake of active lava. Occasionally, the lava may rise and overflow along the floor and sides of the crater.
Other craters
Apart from Halema’uma’u, there are many more craters in the area. One of them is the Kilauea Iki crater. During an eruption in 1959, the Pu’u Pua’i (Gushing Hill) was formed. This hill is basically a cinder cone, a steep conical hill formed by the accumulation of lava during eruptions. It is found at the southern rim of the crater and has a 400 feet deep lake of molten lava!
There are many more craters in Mount Kilauea! The rift zone (an area where the volcano is splitting) on the east is home to 17 pit craters, while the southwest rift zone is home to many more. They range in size from 20 to 610 feet deep and 26 to 3,740 feet broad, with the Makaopuhi crater being the biggest (1000 feet).
Kilauea’s notable eruptions
As one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mount Kilauea has seen quite a few explosive eruptions. A caldera (large depression) is generally formed by the inward collapse of a volcano. In 1790, a steam explosion killed a section of the Hawaiian army advancing close to Kilauea’s caldera. In a 1955 eruption, lava poured from cracks over 88 days, destroying over 15 square km of precious sugarcane fields and orchards. In 2018, eruptions in the east rift zone caused many cracks that cut into residential neighbourhoods, unleashing lava and clouds of sulphur dioxide gas. One intense eruption propelled a plume of volcanic ash about 30,000 feet into the air.
The myth of Goddess Pele
Yes, local legends say that Mount Kilauea is the home to Pele, a goddess! According to folklore, Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes. Pele is known for her fiery anger. If you visit the islands, you will hear numerous legends of her strength and destruction. Here are some intriguing ones for you. Legend has it that Pele appears as an elderly lady beggar to test people by asking them whether or not they have food or shelter. She rewards those who are kind, but punishes those who are selfish, by destroying their houses or belongings!