Recent Event Highlights: Scientists Discover Underwater Asphalt Volcanoes - National Science Foundation (press release), Travel books: From fly-fishing to Hawaii - Seattle Times, From Iceland to Hawaii, volcano tourism is suddenly hot - USA Today, Volcanoes: Hawaii Versus Iceland - Huffington Post (blog), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park wins Hawaii Green Business Award - Hawaii 24/7, Volcano expedition is a chopper ride to remember - Los Angeles Times, and 73 more...
Created by dipity on Jan 28, 2010
Last updated: 10/29/10 at 07:12 AM
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Questions answered: 4-26-2010San Diego Union TribuneQUESTION: Why do some volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens, explode violently, while others, such as currently active volcanoes in Hawaii ...
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National Science Foundation (press release)Scientists Discover Underwater Asphalt VolcanoesNational Science Foundation (press release)Tests showed that these aren't your typical lava volcanoes, however, found in Hawaii and elsewhere around the Pacific Rim. Using a mass spectrometer, ...and more »
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Travel books: From fly-fishing to HawaiiSeattle TimesThe book also includes sections on surfing, volcanoes, flora and fauna, the outrigger canoe, Hawaii's culture, and a brief history of Hawaii's plantations ...and more »
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ReutersFrom Iceland to Hawaii, volcano tourism is suddenly hotUSA TodayLava flows at Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park have been a scenic — and comparatively benign — draw since Kilauea's most recent series of eruptions began ...What We Know From the Icelandic VolcanoSmithsonianIceland a hot spot of volcanic activityPhiladelphia InquirerVolcanoes: 5 Things You Didn't KnowAskMenall 726 news articles »
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ReutersCould be worseEconomistThen there are those which sit over isolated “hotspots” of upwelling magma from deep in the earth, like the volcanoes of Hawaii. Finally there are those—a ...Different Predictions Made For Iceland VolcanoThe Epoch TimesVolcano exposes mankind's limitsEdmonton JournalIcelandic eruption may be first of a seriesGlobal Timesall 7,509 news articles »
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Volcanoes: Hawaii Versus IcelandHuffington Post (blog)Located on the Big Island, Kilauea is the most active and visited volcano in the world. It is so accessible and "safe" that the Hawaii Volcano Observatory ...Opinion: Memories of illness, long-term effects from volcanoesDigitalJournal.comall 2 news articles »
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park wins Hawaii Green Business AwardHawaii 24/7Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Saved 115, 828 kWh of energy since 2007 by implementing energy efficient measures, harvesting rainwater for nearly 100 ...
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Los Angeles TimesVolcano expedition is a chopper ride to rememberLos Angeles TimesA helicopter tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, called 'Doors Off — Feel the Heat,' gives tourists an up-close encounter with heat and smell of a lava ...Man dies in apparent motorcycle crash in Hawaii Volcanoes National ParkHonolulu Star-BulletinMotorcyclist dies near volcano national park on the Big IslandHonolulu Advertiserall 8 news articles »
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True/SlantIceland isn't the only place with lava; Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is activeTrue/SlantWhile the volcano in Iceland is causing havoc with travelers and businesses, Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii continues to ...Local researchers study Icelandic volcanoHonolulu Star-BulletinWhat Set it Off?Scandinavia Travelall 6 news articles »
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Washington PostHawaii Volcanoes waiving admission next weekVictoria AdvocateHONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is offering free admission next week in celebration of National Park Week. Starting Sunday, visitors won't ...Hawaii National Parks waiving entrance fees for nine days beginning April 17Hawaiimagazine.com (blog)all 101 news articles »
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closes campground, Mauna Loa Road and cabinsHawaii 24/7Windy weather continues within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, with gusts buffeting some park areas at over 50 mph. To protect visitors from fallen tree ...Rangers order closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park because of high windsHonolulu Advertiserall 3 news articles »
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Get away for spring break at your hometown librarySummit Daily NewsThen check out the “Moon Handbook Big Island of Hawaii” by Robert Nilsen. Not only can you sun on the beach, but you can visit Hawaii Volcanoes National ...
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CNNA prescription for the ocean's ailing healthCNNReform is needed for high seas fisheries, but also for protecting seamounts, the underwater mountains formed by extinct volcanoes whose tops support ...A prescription for the ocean's ailing healthCNN Internationalall 2 news articles »
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MetroAfter that amazing Soufriere Hills volcano picture: Top 10 volcano factsMetroHawaii's Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on the planet, standing six miles tall from the sea floor to its summit. In the wider solar system, ...
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Park extends deadline for Volcano House biddersHonolulu AdvertiserThe extension means that the Volcano House will more than likely be closed four to five months longer than originally planned, said Walt Poole, Hawaii ...
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Tales of old HawaiiThe AustralianAt the World Heritage-listed Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, visitors can admire the ancient handiwork of Kilauea on a walk through the Thurston Lava Tube ...
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"Kona in a Cup": Everything you need to know about Kona coffee before you buyHawaiimagazine.com (blog)Grown on just 2300 total acres on a 20-mile belt of land on the steep slopes of Big Island volcanoes Hualalai and Mauna Loa, Kona coffee claims a ...and more »
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Island hopping: Seeing six Hawaiian islands in 15 daysSan Jose Mercury NewsThe first stop on Hawaii was Hilo, the closest port to Volcanoes National Park. We walked by steam vents puffing through the caldera (shallow summit ...and more »
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Jeanne Cooper /Special to SFGateSan Francisco ChronicleOriginally one park with two sections, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and Haleakala National Park became independent entities in 1961. ...and more »
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Big Island Video NewsHawaii volcano activity seen in thermal imageBig Island Video NewsHawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii – The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor the activity at Kilauea's Halema`uma`u vent, using a thermal ...
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www.hawaiiactive.com - Active volcano video on Hawaii Kilauea - Watch Pele, the fire goddess in action: volcano eruptions in the National Park Hawaii on Big Island
Lightning in a volcano's eruption cloud, as lava enters the ocean in the Kalapana area. Amazing work done by Videographer, Darcy Bevens from the CSAV. Music by Luis Marsans (www.luismarsans.com) For more information on lightning go to: www.uhh.hawaii.edu
Movie from two trips to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Summer trip captured Kilauea caldera, Halema'uma'u crater, steam vents, sulphur dioxide emissions and Kilauea Iki. Autumn helitrip on a door-less Hughes 500 from rainy Hilo to active area shows a lava flow entering the ocean near Kalapana, past destruction of towns and gardens, fumaroles (gas vents), Pu'u 'O'o' active lava vents and magma skylight. The weather was typical for Hilo, heavy rain all the time and we were lucky to take off as our flight was the first after three days of terrible weather. Unfortunately this prevented us from flying over the active Pu'u 'O'o crater. Music was chosen to reflect both destructive and creative nature of volcanoes, perpetual fight between the forces of life and death as well as a reminder of uncertainty of things we perceive as cast in stone, especially when seeing the stone in making. The first song is a traditional offering to Pele, Hawaiian goddess of fire, volcanoes, lightning, dance and violence that is believed to be residing in the Halema'uma'u crater of Kilauea. As in any part of the world, some people still worship these ancient natural deities though no longer sacrificing humans in luakini heiau-s to please Pele. I have seen a Hawaiian local preventing a tourist from taking pictures of the Haleakala crater while flying over Maui, arguing such an action would provoke Pele's anger. The second song is Bring me to Life from Evanescence, that by its contradictory and inconsistent appearance expresses the nature of volcanoes that are like a borderline lover that could not live without her soul-mate yet destroying him by her very presence, by an eruption of destruction both feared of and longed for, a true Pele characteristics. The last song, In the End by Linkin Park comes to mind while flying over the destroyed town of Kapaahu and Royal Gardens, observing the path of destruction by lava eruption in the '80s. Despite hard trying of the locals to live there, everything was lost in an instant of a Kilauea eruption.
Hawaii's premiere way to view lava is aboard a Lava Ocean Adventures lava boat tour. Watch as active lava flows thru Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in route to Kalapana into the ocean.
Hawaii's premiere way to view lava is aboard a Lava Ocean Adventures lava boat tour. Watch as active lava flows thru Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in route to Kalapana into the ocean.
A Lava Boat Tour to Hawaii Volcano Kilauea Like no Other - June 2009 - View Lava from lava boats lavakai & Kuewa where our Hawaii tour has become a favorite of lava hunters & adventure seekers looking to get a glimpse of Peles rivers of Lava. Whether you're on a A Sunrise Full moon lava...
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park boat tour to view active lava pour into the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii Tours by boat give you a facing view of the lava. Make this Hawaii vacation one you'll remember for the rest of your life, come experience a sunrise, daytime, sunset, or after dark lava boat...
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov Mixed standard definition USGS volcano footage. Duration: 1.4 minutes Aerosols smaller than 1 micrometer are mostly formed by condensation processes such as conversion of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas (released from volcanic eruptions) to sulfate particles and by formation of soot and smoke during burning processes. After formation, the aerosols are mixed and transported by atmospheric motions and are primarily removed by cloud and precipitation processes. Video courtesy of United States Geological Survey.
Lava Tour by boat provides the ultimate viewing of lava. The new ocean entry Kupapa'u provides a special up close viewing for these passengers. This Friday 13th was filled with rivers of lava flowing into the sea over the previous lava coastline.Lava Tour by boat provides the ultimate viewing...
Recent photos taken during Lava Ocean Adventures Hilo Hawaii Boat Tours. View active lava from Hawaii Volcano Kilauea as she sends her molten lava into the sea aboard one of our lava boat tours. A lifetime memory filled with black sand beaches, lava caves, remote jungle coastline, and a thrilling ocean ride. Enjoy a Whale, Waterfall, & Wildlife extravaganza during the Natural Wonders of Hilo tour. Winter is when our friends make the journey to breed come experience these graceful mammals on a Hilo Whale Watch.
Check out the full trip report at grundlefly.com ... The Big Island is famous for its Volcanoes National Park and to be honest we weren't quite sure what we could expect to see before we turned up.
My Hawaiian volcanic experience watching lava flow into water and ocean waves roll with lava inside them... Definitely one of the nicest natural things I have ever witnessed!
Lava entering the Pacific Ocean, from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii, in Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian Boat tours provide a view of lava that can only be scence on the water. This unique view will amaze you. Volcano Kilauea has been erupting since 1983, and this lava flow continues to flow now in 2009.
A view of the dramatic lava cliffs just south of where lava from Kilauea meets the Pacific Ocean, viewed from near the Holei Sea Arch near the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Filmed with a Flip minohd camera, video clip uploaded as-is to youtube.
Perhaps the finest short day hike in the park, a four-mile, 2-3 hour trip down into, across and back out of Kilauea Iki Crater gives one an intimate feel for volcanoes, Hawaiian-Style. Crossing the crater floor on this surface provides one of the most interesting hikes in the Park. Looking up from the bottom of the crater, one can see the distinctive ring around the crater marking the high point of the lava lake during the last eruption. The four mile loop-hike descends from the rim in two places and crosses the crater floor in about three hours hiking at a nominal pace. Along one side, thick fern and ohia forest skirts along the rim and on the other, lush tropical rainforest crowds to the very brink of the crater; bleak volcanic desert lines the crater walls and covers the floor. The start and finish of the hike are along well marked, wide trails following the rim with handrails and stairs in some spots as you begin to descend into the crater. The remainder is an easily followed, well marked trail with stone ahu (cairns) over the crater floor. Recent bore-hole measurements indicate that roiling molten lava is lying beneath the skin of the caldera only 230 feet beneath your hiking boots. Keep your eyes open for Peles Hair and Peles Tears (fine, thread-like and bead-like deposits of volcanic glass), gaseous vents and other marvels of the living lava mountain. This hike requires you to take plenty of water, rain gear, suncream, a map and compass, to wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and to be in fairly good physical condition. As always when hiking in the Park, it is wise to avoid the noonday sun, and to remember that afternoon showers are common, especially at the crater rims. Video written andproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Kilauea Iki, meaning little Kilauea, is the still seething remnant of a quite recent (1959), spectacular eruption that filled the crater with a molten lake of lava and threw fire fountains as much as 1900 feet in the air. For a sense of scale, the worlds tallest building, the Taipei 101 which is 101 stories tall and 1667 feet high, would be dwarfed by these fire fountains. Distances across the crater are hard to guess, as steam jets up from small cracks in the now-hardened lava-lakes surface and the minute specks of hikers cross its black expanse, but the crater today is more than a mile long, 3000 feet across and almost 400 feet from the rim to the surface. At its peak, the volcano spewed about two million tons of lava per hour; however, between spurts, much of this liquid drained back into the subterranean plumbing of the caldera, thus giving the distinctive ring-around-the-crater look to Kilauea Iki. Video written andproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
At Kealakomo, the road breaks over the edge of the Holei Pali. The upper portion of Kilauea is separated from the coastal plains by a series of fault escarpments, where the lower coast has moved down relative to the rest of the mountain. Sometimes these movements are catastrophic and enormous chunks of land slide of into the sea, such as at Kealakekua Bay in Kona and on the Hilina Pali, here in the Park. In 1975 a 7.2 magnitude earthquake heralded the movement of the lower fault block, dropping it by as much as ten feet downward and sliding it seaward by as much as twenty feet. This movement triggered a local tsunami which swept a group of a few dozen young campers who had horse-packed into the abandoned village of Halape thousands of feet inland; fortunately, only two men a some horses were drowned, the others miraculously survived. The Kealakomo Overlook has a covered pavilion and picnic tables, incredible views, a generally cool breeze but no services available. Video written andproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Along the sea cliffs that surround the Island of Hawaii, arches and sea stacks are formed where wild waves and tides exploit minute differences in the hardness of various layers of lava flow and airfall material, making strange, gravity-defying natural sculptures. Although common, there are few places where these arches and stacks are easily viewable--one such place is the Holei Sea Arch, which is currently directly seaward of the end of the Chain of Craters Road. At Holei Sea Arch the cliffs are 80 to 90 feet high, but many waves still spray and wash over them, so use caution when approaching and photographing the arch. Notice along the lower cliffs in the area toward the eruption viewing platform, the several large boulders which have been dropped by giant, angry waves crashing over the sea cliffs. Imagine the power of a wave that would have enough force to deposit a several-ton boulder on a cliff 30 feet about the surface of the ocean. Video written andproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Beyond the Holei Pali turn out and just past Mile Marker 15, in the southeast side of the road, a good-sized lava tube may be seen in the road cut; there is a parking turnout just past the tube entrance. With care and a bike helmet, the tube can be explored for nearly 30 meters, until breakdown pinches it out. This tube has numerous skylights, so a flashlight is not absolutely necessary, but it is recommended. Unless recent breakdown has now blocked it, with wriggling, skinny or determined people can make it to a small portal with a view into the large fern grotto; this is your turn-around spot. Please do not force your way into the grotto as it will kill the plants and destroy the miniature ecosystem that has grasped a wee toehold here. Besides which, the grotto is populated by numerous wasp nests. A walk to the top of the hill which overlies the tube entrance brings one to the skylights along the cave, and wonderful glimpses down into the fern paradise that grows within. Remember that lava tube skylights are collapse features and do not approach the edges too closely; they are unstable and unsafe. Video written andproduced by Donald B. MacGowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald MacGowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie MacGowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland ...
At 2.2 mile down Chain of Craters Road is the turn off to the Hilina Pali Road. This road is 9 miles of some of the most spectacular, lonely and striking scenery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Be especially careful when driving this road, it is mostly only one lane and there are more people enjoying this trip through the backcountry than you might think. About halfway to Hilina Pali Overlook is the Kulanaokuaiki Campground. Set amongst rifts, collapse features and flows, this desert campground is secluded and spectacular. Rarely utilized, it is a great place to camp while exploring the park. Pit toilets and an emergency phone are available, but there is no water at Kulanaokuaiki Campground. Driving further across the broad lava flows, past panoramic vistas of Mauna Loa, along the spectacular drop-off of the Hilina Pali (literally cliff of faith), one comes to the Hilina Pali Overlook, a great place for a picnic or short hike. Connecting with several longer trails across the Kau Desert, Kilauea Crater, or down the Pali to such abandoned coastal villages as Halape and Keauhou, the Hilina Pali Overlook is the central cross-roads of back-packing trails which crisscross the park. Hilina Pali Road, due to its remoteness and lack of traffic, is a great place for a mountain bike ride, birding, or just getting away from crowds and tour busses. There are magnificent views, heart-stopping sunsets and pit toilets at the Campground and Overlook, but no water or other services are available. Hilina Pali is a nesting place for the endangered Nene, the Hawaii State bird, which is related to the Canada Goose. Hilina Pali Road may be closed during Nene nesting season. Video written andproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
The end of the Chain of Craters Road is currently around Mile Marker 19, just at the Holei Sea Arch and about ½ mile from the National Park eruption viewing station. The End of the Road is the second busiest area in the Park when the lava is flowing. Rangers try to be available here to talk to visitors through most of the day and into the evening. The Rangers will have the most up-to-date information about hiking to, and viewing, the eruption. Due to the popularity of this area, it is not uncommon to have to park as much as ¾ of a mile or more from the end of the road. You should bring at least 2 quarts of water, a flashlight for hiking out in the dark, camera, food, first aid kit, sun screen and a rain jacket; wear a sun hat, sturdy hiking shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt--those rocks are sharp! Over the years, we have found a stout hiking stick and an umbrella to be of good use as well. Since photos and video are most spectacular at night, it is wise to bring a camera tripod. Hiking all the way out to the active flows is one of the most spiritually rewarding, awe-inspiring, curiosity quenching and amazing things one can do anywhere in the world—but it is neither for the physically unfit nor the meek of spirit. It is a long, hot hike over broken ground and glass-sharp rocks; the heat from the volcano is savage; the weather, if clear, is sweltering; frequent squalls blow in off the ocean and the rain and wind can get pretty wild out on the lava plain where there is absolutely no cover or shelter to protect you. No water or shade are available anywhere along the hike. The molten lava itself is mortally dangerous, although slow-moving and easy to outpace. However, the incautious and inattentive can find themselves surrounded and cut off as flows advance whilst they are looking elsewhere. It is a good idea to use a sturdy walking stick or ski pole to probe the flows in front of you, as you approach the active flows. Although it may appear dark and solid—especially in the bright daylight—much of what you will be walking on is still extremely hot and may not be completely hardened—best to probe it first before walking out on it. Don't be tempted to touch, spit on, sprinkle water on, poke, kick, throw rocks into or interrupt or molest the molten lava flow in anyway—the results will be blindingly fast, inexplicably unpredictable and agonizingly painful. Remember that you are hiking on a highly active volcano, if flowing streams of lava strand you, no rescue is practical or possible; plan, take care and pay strict attention accordingly. The section on Lava Viewing has a great deal of important information regarding hiking on this active volcano; be sure to review it so that you may approach the home of the goddess with respect, knowledge and awe, and return unscathed. Going to see the lava flow and the eruption of a living volcano may well be the adventure of your lifetime; please be careful and pay attention to these warnings to make sure this is not the FINAL adventure of your lifetime. Videoproduced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Less than 1/10 of a mile southwest from Hilina Pali road is a small patch of bare ground, the parking spot for the unmarked Devils Throat collapse crater. Devils Throat is an excitingly vertically-sided pit crater that is worth the visit just for the okole squeezing peering down the throat will give you. An approximately 50 meter trail leads south east from the road along a prominent earth fracture to the 30 meter wide by 55 meter deep pit. Keep your eyes on the trail in front of you at all times as you approach. Do not allow children or exuberant adults run ahead, especially in the dark, fog or vog, as there are NO safety rails and absolutely NO warning the crater is coming up; one simply arrives, teetering, at the brink. Be extremely careful approaching the crater rim, as the edge is very unstable and prone to collapse. Viewing and photography are best done here when the sun is high in the sky and the walls and bottom of the crater are not in shadow.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and Island Activities in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com
A short, 20 minute-or-so hike on an abandoned section of Crater Rim Drive through lush fern and ohia forest brings one to spectacular views of the Kilauea Caldera, Waldron Ledge and Pu'u Puai at the mouth of Kilauea Iki Crater. This hike is one of the few places where bicycles are allowed, and the generally shaded road makes for a pleasant, but short, ride or hike. This trail is a great way to get away from noise and traffic and experience the lush, high altitude fern forest firsthand.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com
The grand tradition of hostelling at the edge of Kilauea Volcano began with construction of the first Volcano House in 1846; as such, Volcano House is Hawaiis oldest continuously operated hotel. Famous Guests include Queen Lilioukalani, Samuel Clemens, Theodore Roosevelt and Elvis Presley. Since Polynesians first arrived in Hawaii, temporary grass shacks had been constructed on the lip of Kilauea Crater to shelter kahuna and alii who went there to give praise and worship to Madame Pele. Chiefess Kapiolani, a converted Christian, had a grass hut constructed on the edge of the crater, then filled with a molten lava lake, in 1826 from which she and her retinue held ceremonies to denounce the goddess. Benjamin Pitmann Sr. built a grass shack he named Volcano House as the first structure to serve solely for the sheltering of kamaaina and tourists visiting the volcano. In 1866, this structure was replaced with one of ohia poles and pili grass. American novelist and humorist Sam Clemens, who stayed at Volcano House in 1866 proclaimed: The surprise of finding a good hotel at such as outlandish spot startled me, considerably more than the volcano did. In 1877 the first fully wooden Volcano House was built, which featured 6 rooms and a large parlor with a fireplace; this building is now being used as the Volcano Art Center and was moved to its present location in 1941. Although the hotel has continued to grow and change over the years, the fire in Volcano House fireplace has burned continuously for 125 years. In 1940 most of the hotel was destroyed in a boiler fire and Uncle George Lycurgus built the structure that stands as the current hotel in 1941 of wood and stone. A tour of the Volcano House and small museum should include the parlor with its koa piano, paintings and welcoming fireplace, the restaurant (the only food available in the Park) and the two gift shops as well as the breath-taking view of Kilauea Crater from the back lanai of the main building.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
A National Park may seem an incongruous place for a world-class art gallery, but the Volcano Art Center has perhaps the best collection of art for sale in the State of Hawaii. The Volcano Art Center, originally built in 1877 as the Volcano House Inn and moved to its present location in 1941, is itself an exquisite work of art, built of ohia and koa woods. Inside you will find many one-of-a-kind works in all media: oil, pottery, metal, watercolor, glass, wood, jewelry, you name it. The Center also offers programs of dance, theater and music, as well as providing workshop and studio space to artists in residence. Its a great place to come and browse, see what is going on in the fascinating world of Hawaiian Art.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Pauahi Crater An enormous, hour-glass-shaped crater nearly 2000 feet long and 300 feet deep, Pauahi Crater has ponded lava flows in its bottom from both the 1973 and 1979 eruptions. Cracks in the crater floor coupled with the high-lava ring-around-the-crater mark on the crater walls indicate that at least some of the lava from the 1973 flow drained back underground through this crater during the eruption. In 1979, earthquake swarms beneath Pauahi Crater alerted geologists at the Volcano Observatory to an impending eruption. 11 hours after the first quakes, steam began issuing in jets from the north rim of the crater. As the fissure tore open the north wall of the crater, lava issued in huge fountains, forming flows which crossed the road. This spectacular eruption lasted only one day, causing much damage but an equal amount of delight to the thousands of Park visitors who witnessed its fiery savagery.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Puhimau Crater 600 feet wide and almost 500 feet deep, Puhimau Crater shows the typical morphology of a collapse structure that has not been invaded by post-collapse lavas. Notice how all the debris associated with this crater seems to point downward into the bottom of the crater; several talus cones run down the slope and there is no material stacked or scattered around the rim of the crater that is suggestive of eruptive or explosive events. One can see exposed on the walls of the crater numerous pre-collapse lava flows that were truncated during the collapse.Produced by Donald B. macgowan; videography by Frank Burgess and Donald macgowan; Narrated by Frank Burgess, Original music written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about traveling the Big Island in general and exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in particular, visit www.tourguidehawaii.com, www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com and www.lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com.
Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Active Lava Flow, the finish line for Bikevolcano.com's Bike to Pele Active Lava Bike Tour.
The platform overlooks the remains of a trench that flowed full of lava at the time of the eruption, delivering million of gallons of molten fluid. When trenches such as these become roofed over, they are called lava tubes and the cooled remains are preserved as caves, such as Nahuku, or Thurston Lava Cave up on Crater Rim Drive. When the vent supplying the lava stops producing, these structures drain empty and cool. Large lava cascades may flow at a velocity of several to tens of miles per hour, however, in Hawaii, most flows can easily be outdistanced on foot. Written and produced by Donnie macgowan; narrated by Frank Burgess; videography by Donald macgowan and Frank Burgess; original musical score written and performed by Donnie macgowan. For more information about touring Hawaii in general or visiting the Big Island in particular, go to www.tourguidehawaii.com, lovingthebigisland.wordpress.com and tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com.
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