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United States · Shield volcano

Hualālai

Hualalai

Type
Shield volcano
Elevation
2523m
Last eruption
1801
Hualālai
Photo: Photograph by J. Kauahikaua. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Shield volcano
Country
United States
Region
Eastern Pacific / Hawaiian-Emperor Hotspot Volcano Group
Elevation
2523m
Coordinates
19.692, -155.870
Last eruption
1801
Tectonic setting
Intraplate / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Shield
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-basalt
Geological summary

The basaltic Hualalai, at the western end of the island, is the third youngest shield volcano on Hawaii. Three rift zones, with numerous cinder cones and spatter cones, trend N, NW, and SE, and converge about 5 km E of the summit. Detailed mapping has shown that 95% of the surface area is of Holocene age, more than half is less than 3,000 years old, and a quarter is less than 1,000 years old. Eruptions at the end of the 18th century and in 1801 produced lava flows from vents on the NW rift zone that reached the sea and buried villages; the 1801 Huehue lava flow underlies part of the airport at Kona. The earlier of the two flows, the Kaupulehu lava flow, is notable for its large quantities of lava-encrusted mafic and ultramafic nodular xenoliths.

From Wikipedia

Hualālai is an active shield volcano on the island of Hawaiʻi in the Hawaiian Islands. It is the westernmost, third-youngest and the third-most active of the five volcanoes that form the island of Hawaiʻi, following Kīlauea and the much larger Mauna Loa. Its peak stands 8,271 feet (2,521 m) above sea level. Hualālai is estimated to have risen above sea level about 300,000 years ago. Despite maintaining a very low level of activity since its last eruption in 1801, and being unusually inactive for the last 2,000 years, Hualālai is still considered active, and is expected to erupt again sometime in the next 100 years. The relative unpreparedness of the residents in the area caused by the lull in activity would worsen an eruption's consequences.

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Eruption history

22 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
7540 BCE~7229 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 06917 BCE~6606 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 04427 BCE~4115 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02870 BCE~2559 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02559 BCE~2247 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 02247 BCE~1936 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01936 BCE~1625 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 01313 BCE~1002 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 01002 BCE~691 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 0691 BCE~379 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0379 BCE~68 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI 0555~866 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 1866~1177 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 11177~1489 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 21489~1800 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 17540 BCE5361 BCE2870 BCE691 BCE1489

Detailed timeline

  1. 1800VEI 0Observed
    1800-07-02 – 1801-07-02
    NW rift zone (520 m)
  2. 1784 (±7 yrs)VEI 0Observed
    1784 – end unknown
    NW rift zone (1400-1900 m)
  3. 1650 (±50 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1650 – end unknown
    NW rift zone (Luamakami)
  4. 1240 (±150 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    1240 – end unknown
    SSE rift zone (Waha Pele)
  5. 1150VEI 0Geological estimate
    1150 – end unknown
    NW rift zone (Puu Alauawa, Nahaha)
  6. 1050 (±100 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    1050 – end unknown
    SSE rift zone (3 km NE of Waha Pele)
  7. 920 (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    920 – end unknown
    NW rift zone (2 km NW of Luamakami)
  8. 770 (±200 yrs)VEI 1Geological estimate
    770 – end unknown
    SSE rift zone (4.5 km NW of Waha Pele
  9. 80 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    80 BCE – end unknown
    North rift zone (1130-1830 m)
  10. 350 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    350 BCE – end unknown
    SE flank (1 km west of Waha Pehe)
  11. 400 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    400 BCE – end unknown
    NW rift zone (Luamakami)
  12. 440 BCE (±50 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    440 BCE – end unknown
    North rift zone (3 km NE of Hainoa)
  13. 720 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    720 BCE – end unknown
    North rift zone (700 m ENE of Hainoa)
  14. 1080 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1080 BCE – end unknown
  15. 1150 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1150 BCE – end unknown
    NW rift zone (0.7 km NW of Luamakami)
  16. 1650 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    1650 BCE – end unknown
  17. 2040 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    2040 BCE – end unknown
    NW rift zone (0.3 km NW of Hainoa)
  18. 2440 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    2440 BCE – end unknown
    NW rift zone (1 km W of Hainoa Crater)
  19. 2770 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    2770 BCE – end unknown
  20. 4410 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    4410 BCE – end unknown
    SE rift zone (1.6 km SE of Hainoa)
  21. 6820 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    6820 BCE – end unknown
    Cone 60 m north of Hainoa Crater
  22. 7540 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 0Geological estimate
    7540 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.