A presentation on the Hawaiian Volcano Mauna Kea.

1. Original Drawing by: Lisa Koyanagi
käkou kuahiwi la’a
O’ Mauna Kea ko

2. The Hawaiian Islands
SE end of Hawaiian-Emperor seamount
chain
Chain is 1,600 miles long
Amount of Islands
Lonely Islands

3. Hawai’i’s Volcano’s
“Volcano Island”
“Hot Spot” – Plume Tail
Basalts
Latest activity - Lö`ihi

4. Map by: UH graduate student Nathan Becker

5. Mauna Kea
Estimated Age: ≈1 million years old
Location: 19.82°N, 155.47°W
Highest Volcano in Hawai’i – 13,796
Pu’u Wekiu
Tallest Mountain in the World
Size – 22.8% of Hawai’i
Latest eruption≈3,500 years ago
Dormant, but not extinct
Lava: Primarily Tholeiitic Basalt

6. Post Shield
Classification of Post Shield-Building
Stage
Low eruption rates
Absence of summit caldera
Steep and irregular topography
Different chemical composition of
lava

7. Post Shield
Transition from Shield Stage about
200,000-250,000 years ago
Rock type in cap
70% Hawaiite
25% Alkalic Basalt
5% Ankaramite

9. Pähoehoe and ‘A’ä
USGS photo by: JD Griggs

10. Pyroclastics
Photo by: F. Peterson
Pele’s Tears Pele’s Hair

11. USGS photo by JD Griggs

12. White Mountain
Only Hawaiian volcano known to be
glaciated
Three glacial episodes since
≈150,000-200,000 years ago
Last Ice
Age formed
Lake Waiau

13. Lake Waiau
Height: 13,020 feet
Location: Pu’u Waiau
Age: about 15,000 years

14. White Mountain
Increase in
rainfall or decrease
in temperature
Current Snowfall

15. Poli’ahu
Snow Goddess

16. Pele
Fire Goddess
”Throwing a
temper tantrum”
Halemau’ma’u
crater
Offerings

17. Earthquakes
Relation to
eruptions
Size

18. Tsunamis
Triggered by major disturbance
of ocean floor
Deep Ocean vs. Shallow Water
Height
Distance
Speed
Hawaiian
Tsunamis

19. Future Eruptions?
Likely to erupt again
Periods between eruptions
long compared to active
volcanoes (Hualälai, Mauna Loa,
Kïlauea)
Detection

20. Observatory
World’s best place to do
Astronomy
Keck Observatory
Damage to Volcano
ifa.hawaii.edu

21. Mälama Mauna Kea
Most sacred places
Adz Quary
Ahu

22. Palila Wekiu
Silversword
mämane

23. Mahalo nui loa
Aloha, a hui hou aku!

24. Photo from: NASA’s STS-51 mission

26. Ski Hawaii
Ski Hawaii
Ski Club
Who should not
travel to the summit
Important needs
Acclimation and
altitude sickness
Climate
Mauna Kea Weather Center