1. Hawaii
The island of Hawaii is composed
of five volcanoes: Kohala, Hualalai,
Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and
Kilauea. We visited the last 3.

2. Mauna Kea
Last erupted 4,500 years ago
Tallest volcano on Earth
Characterized by abundant cinder
cones
Known for the astronomical
observatories on its summit

5. Mauna Kea
Glacial features on Mauna Kea.
Yes, there were glaciers on Mauna
Kea. No, you can’t see much in this
photo.

6. Puu Mahana
To get an idea as to what the inside
of a cinder cone (sort of) looks like,
we visit one of only two green
sand beaches in the world. This
beach represents an eroded littoral
cone, caused by the interaction of
flowing lava (associated with
Mauna Loa) and seawater.

10. Green Sand Beach
The ash that eroded to produce the
beach.

11. Black Sand at
Punalu’u
For comparison to the green sand,
here turtles are relaxing on a black
sand beach. The black sand forms
at a point where lava entered the
sea and cooled very quickly.

15. Mauna Loa
Tallest mountain in the world (if
you measure from the seafloor)
Last erupted in 1984
Covered with multi-colored lava
flows

19. Observatory
At just over 11,000 feet is the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Mauna Loa
Observatory. The observatory has
been measuring atmospheric gases,
particles and solar radiation since
the 1950s.

22. Observatory
Chinese experiment station

23. Observatory
The original 1950s carbon dioxide
monitor

24. Observatory
Water-mist fire extinguisher.
Computer geeks like these because
the extinguishing agent doesn’t
conduct electricity and it doesn’t
make a mess like a regular multi-
purpose dry chemical extinguisher.

25. Mauna Loa
In 1935, stone walls were built in an
attempt to contain lava flows

26. Kilauea
One of the most active volcanoes
on Earth
Has been erupting continuously
since 1983

27. A large block of the Kilauea rim has partially slumped into the
caldera. Steam escapes from vents all over this slumped area.

28. The Sulphur Banks
Vents, known as solfatars, emit gases, including sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.
Condensation of these emissions leaves deposits of yellow sulfur, red hematite and white opal.

29. Sulphur Banks

30. Sulphur Banks

31. Sulphur Banks

32. Sulphur Banks

33. Sulphur Banks

34. Halemaumau Crater: Currently active, with a lava lake about 600
feet below its rim.

35. Halemaumau Crater during the day

36. And at night

37. With a full moon

38. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory with its “Crisis Center” on top.

39. Kilauea Iki: site of a spectacular eruption in 1959. The eruption
filled a valley with a lava lake over 400 feet deep.

40. Kilauea Iki valley today. The cooled lava lake is in the foreground. The source
of the lava fountains is in the background. Steam rising from Halemaumau
Crater is visible in the distance.

41. Kilauea Iki

42. Kilauea Iki
The red hole is the location of the 1959 eruption.

43. Kilauea Iki

44. Rolling surface of the lava lake at Kilauea Iki.

45. Cooling lava lake surface broken up like sea ice

46. The high lava mark in the Kilauea Iki valley

47. Borings installed by the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor the cooling of the
lava lake at Kilauea Iki. It was still partially molten until around 1990.

48. Janice self-extricating from a fissure at Kilauea Iki.

49. Pauahi Crater: An eruption in the 1970s partially filled this valley
with lava. The high lava mark is visible on the far wall.

50. Ohia Tree: Common on the island of Hawaii. One of the first plants
to colonize a recently emplaced lava flow.

51. Tree mold: actual lava and mold (somebody added the tree).

52. Tree mold (tree removed)

53. Ancient Hawaiian petroglyph (no, I didn’t do it)

54. Structure destroyed by lava flow

55. Ropy lava

56. Cross section showing banding in lava

57. Approaching the ocean entry

58. Flowing lava!

59. Lava

60. Lava

61. Near (actually, on top of) flowing lava

62. Lava

63. Lava

64. Lava

65. Lava

66. Ocean entry

67. Ocean Entry

68. Ocean entry

69. Ocean entry

70. Ocean entry