Hawaii Volcano Project

evaluate the geology of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and compare it with Yellowstone
National Park geology, volcanic history and natural hazards. The volcanoes in Hawaii are
the result of an oceanic hot spot. As part of your research you will need to identify:
o what active volcanoes are in the park
o what type or types of lava are erupted from these volcanoes
o what causes the melting that produces the lava
o whether the process of melting in Hawaii similar to or different than Yellowstone
You also need to discover the relationship between the Hawaiian volcanoes and the
Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, and answer the following question:
o Why are there not active volcanoes on all of the Hawaiian Islands, and what is the
youngest volcano?

Geology comparison:
Geology
Volcanic history
Natural hazards
Active volcanoes
Types of lava erupted
Cause of meting the
produces lava
Process of meting different?
More questions:
Geology comparisons
Hawaii Volcanoes Yellowstone
Among the most active
volcanoes in the world,
Mauna Loa most massive
mountain in the world; have
3 rift zones (have cinder
cones, spatter cones, pit
craters, open fissures);
Kilauea two rift zones ;
How made..
Poses unique hazards to
visitors including volcanic
eruptions earthquakes and
tsunamis that have come
form the National Park
Muana Loa, Kilauea
Has spread acoss 5 broad
areas;
Hawaiian Emperor seamount
chain; why no active
volcanoes on all Hawaiian
islands; youngest volcano?
Our world is an ever-changing landscape, beyond human control. This is so clearly seen in the
volcanoes of Hawaii national park

Active volcanoes in the park:

There are currently active volcanoes in Hawaii. Mauna Loa, erupting in 1984, and Kilauea,
continuously erupting since 1983; both of which are on the Island of Hawaii in the Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park.
In contrast
Yellowstone national park houses the Yellowstone Caldera, which some consider a
supervolcano, meaning its capable of eruption of more the 240 cubic miles of magma.

Types of lava from these volcanoes:

Hawaii -> Laval is basalt 50% silica, 10% each of iron, magnesium calcium; 15% aluminum, 2%
titanium and 2% sodium
Mauna Loa active shield volcano with relatively gentle slopes, about 18,000 miles3; lava
eruptions are silica-poor and very fluid, tend to be non-explosive. The flows tend to be larger
and faster moving than Kilauea; one of Earths most active volcanoes, erupted 33 times since
1843; The oldest remnants of subaerial Mauna Loa are to be found in an interesting rock
formation known as the "Ninole Volcanic Series". It is a series of steep-sided hills, consisting of
thin layers of pahoehoe and a'a lava. These hills form the so-called "Ninole Shield" which is
thought to be either the remnants of a pre-Mauna Loa volcano, or uplifted blocks of old Mauna
Loa from within the Honuapo-kaoiki fault system. Either way, they are some of the oldest
exposed rocks on the southern part of the island.

Kilauea also considered one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, nearly continuously
erupting since 1983; unlike many other active volcanoes, it is approachable considered the
drive-up volcano because of ease of access; basaltic shield volcano, erupts type of basalt
tholeites lava type is dominant extrusive during shield building (main stage) of volcano (5);
can also erupt alkali basalt, but usually in pre- and post- shield stages, minor at Kilauea today;
alkali basalts have high concentrations of Na and K and lower {Si] relative to tholeites believed
to be due to differences in extent of melting in mantle (alkali basalts are smaller-degree melts).

Yellowstone Caldera produce lava flows of either basalt or rhyolite most likely

What causes melting that produces lava: (7)

In Hawaii, lava is supplied in lava tubes that extend from vents on the flank fo the Puu Oo
cone down to the ocean. A skylight provides a view into a lava tube. Lava comes from the
melting of the mantle 60 km below the surface of the Earth. This magma, or liquid rock, rises
through conduits to a reservoir beneath the summit of Kilauea. The magma travels through a
dike that extends from the summit down into the flank of the volcano, rises up from the dike to
the vents at the surface, transported in tubes down to the coast. As the lava travels down to
ocean, the temp drops and the first crust forms (at around 500 C).
3 ways volcanoes can form subduction zones, mid-ocean ridges, and hots spots! (7)
Hot spot: occurs because of intense heat of outer core; heat radiates through mantle, bringing
solids rock upward to the hot spot (areas of rising solid rock = mantle plumes). Rock begins to
melt in the lower pressure of the upper region forming magma- which rises until it reaches
surface forming a volcano.
Most hot spots located at mid-ocean ridges, BUT few located in the middle of plates Hawaii
and Yellowstone
The volcanoes of Hawaii are a result of a hot spot
The volcanoes of Yellowstone are a result of hot spot also! sits on top of a continental hot
spot as N. American plate moves steadily W, hot spot affects different areas of continent.
Geysers and hots springs are a reminder that there is a huge volcano underneath the scenery.

As Pacific plate moved NW, produced Hawaiian islands one at a time; 1st to form over hot spot
was Kauai; as pacific plate moved W, formed Oahu (capital and largest city of Honolulu is
located on this extinct volcanic island; Oahu, Molakai, Lanai, and Maui all share same volcanic
base formed from separate volcanoes that were connected by huge lava flows; Big Island is
the only one with active volcanoes in the island gourp. Konala, Hualaiai, Mauna Kea, Mauna
Loa, and Kilauea volcanoes have built the island. Mauana Loa is the largest on Earth (313,684 ft
above sea level;

A caldera large bowl-shaped crater formed by collapse of volcanic cone after an eruption;
after huge ejection of lava, may be no magma left in the chamber to fill the conduit and crater
hollow space under summit where magma used to be, the top of the mountain then collapses
creating a caldera;
One of the largest calderas in the world (over 65 miles across)

Exact same process that formed Hawaii Islands and Yellowstone N. American plate moved W,
slowly moved over hot spot, hot spot created volcanic features through the western portion of
the US

Hawaiian volcanoes and Hawaiian Emperor seamount chain relationship

All the islands in the Emperor Seamount-Hawaiian chain all formed over the same hot spot that
is currently under the big island of Hawaii today.
The Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain is the Hawaiian Islands and the emperor Seamounts

Consists of dozens of volcanoes and is well knowns for its peculiar 60 degree bend.
1963 John Tuzo Willson explained that the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain was created by
a hotspot of volcanic actiivaty that was essentially stationary as the Pacific tectonic plate drifted
NW
Why are there not active volcanoes on all the islands?
Kohala, the oldest volcano, is considered extinct; Mauna Kea is considered dormant;

Youngest volcano?
Kilauea youngest and most active on Island of Hawaii
Sources:

(1) Yellowstone Volcano: Frequently Asked Questions. National Parks Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/volcanoqa.htm.

(2) Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.

(3) Mauna Loa Volcano. Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaiian Center for Volcanology, 27 Sept. 2015,
www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/maunaloa.html.

(4) Ask An Earth Scientist. Lavas Erupted at Kilauea Today, Ask An Earth Scientist,
www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/kilauea-lava.html.

(5) Program, Volcano Hazards. USGS: Volcano Hazards Program YVO Yellowstone,
volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/yellowstone_hazard_44.html.

(6) Volcano World. Hotspot Volcanoes - Hawaii and Yellowstone, Oregon State University,
volcano.oregonstate.edu/hot-spot-volcanoes-hawaii-and-yellowstone-lesson-9.

(7) Volcano Hazards Program. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, USGS, 12 May 2017,
volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcanoes.html.

Pictures:
https://images.csmonitor.com/csm/2015/03/0303-
Chile_Volcano_Eruption.jpg?alias=standard_600x400

http://cdn.natgeotv.com.au/factsheets/thumbnails/YellowstoneEarthQuakeHeader.jpg?v=27&
azure=false&scale=both&width=1024&height=560&mode=crop