Hawaii Island

The largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. It is the top of an enormous submarine mountain and has several volcanic peaks. Known as "The Big Island". It is truly the only state in the US that is still growing courtesy of the islands Madame Pele.

 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a national park established in 1916 on southern Hawaii Island, Hawaii, which contains two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest volcanic mass, towers 4,170 m (13,680 ft) above sea level. Its summit crater, Mokuaweoweo, has walls rising to about 180 m (600 ft); eruptions occur here and from the fissures and newer craters that have formed on the slopes of the mountain. Kilauea projects from the eastern slope of Mauna Loa; it rises 1,247 m (4,090 ft) above sea level. The east rift of Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. Kilauea’s crater covers more than 10 sq km (4 sq mi) and is the largest active volcanic crater in the world. Its vast inner pit, Halemaumau, is sometimes called the "House of Everlasting Fire." The park’s varied landscape includes the Kau Desert on the arid leeward (eastern) slope of Kilauea and a luxuriant tree fern forest on its moist windward (western) slope. Hawaii Volcano Observatory (established 1911) is on the rim of Kilauea Crater. Until 1961, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was combined with Haleakala National Park on Maui Island as Hawaii National Park. Area, 84,861 hectares (209,695 acres).

Kilauea, the world's most active volcanic crater, located on central Hawaii Island, Hawaii. It is situated on the southeastern slope of the great volcanic mountain Mauna Loa, at an elevation of 1,247 m (4,090 ft) above sea level, which is more than 3000 m (almost 10,000 ft) below the summit of the mountain. The crater, which forms a great cavity in the side of the mountain, has an area of about 10 sq km (about 4 sq mi); the walls of the crater are from 60 to 210 m (about 200 to 700 ft) high. Except for occasional lava flows across the floor of the crater, volcanic activity in recent times has been restricted to an inner crater called Halemaumau, which measures more than 900 m (about 3000 ft) across and has a depth of about 400 m (about 1300 ft).

Normally, lava streams constantly flow into the floor of the crater from subterranean sources and either cool and harden or accumulate until they drain off into other subterranean passages. During greater volcanic activity, the lava is subject to sudden changes of level, when it may escape from vents on the lower slope toward the sea. In the 20th century, major flows occurred in 1920 and 1921, 1950, 1955, 1959, 1965, and 1969. The current eruption cycle, the longest-running in modern Hawaiian history, began on January 3, 1983. The volcano spews an average of 400,000 cu m (525,000 cu yd) of lava a day and by 1995 had added about 200 hectares (about 500 acres) of new land to the island. By June 1989, it had destroyed the visitors center at the national park, and more than 65 houses by 1990. Since 1911 an observatory has been maintained on the brink of the crater. Kilauea is part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The third and tallest peak on the island is Mauna Kea. In Hawaiian it means "White Mountain". The summit, at 13,680 feet, is dotted with various telescopes from organizations around the world and is considered by many to be the most ideal place in the world to observe the stars.

City of Refuge - Mauna Kea - Mauna Loa - Waimea - Kohala Coast - Kona - Hamakua