Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The islands that make up Hawaii have been entirely formed by volcanic activity. Hawaii's volcanoes are caused by the crust of the earth moving over a hot spot in the earth's crust that sometimes forces molten lava and rock through the surface, resulting in volcanic island formation. Islands in the northern portions of the chain are older islands whose volcanoes have left the hot zone currently under the island of Hawaii, where the most active Hawaiian volcanoes are found.
Mauna Loa, which means "long mountain" in Hawaiian, is on the island of Hawaii. It rises to 13,680 feet above sea level and has erupted 39 times since 1832. Mauna Loa has erupted an average of every six years over the past 3,000 years. The last time Mauna Loa erupted was in 1984. Mauna Loa is 60 miles long and 30 miles wide and, thus, comprises nearly half of the island of Hawaii.
Kilauea is also located on the island of Hawaii. It is considered one of the most active volcanoes on earth. It rises 4,200 feet above sea level and is located on the southern part of the island. The most recent eruption of Kilauea began in 1983 and shows no signs of slowing or subsiding.
Loihi is the youngest volcano in the Hawaiian chain. It is still underwater and rises 3,000 feet above the ocean floor. Loihi was thought to be extinct until intense seismic activity began again in 1970. This seismic activity triggered more study of the volcano and an intense eruption was detected in 1996.
Wainae is an extinct volcano on the island of Oaho. Wainae rises 3,900 feet above sea level and is last thought to have erupted around 3 million years ago. Wainae is shielded from rain by the Koolau volcano and, thus, has less runoff, making the ocean around Wainae some of the clearest in Hawaii.
Rising 13,796 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the Hawaiian chain. Although not considered extinct, Mauna Kea is dormant. Mauna Kea's most recent eruption occurred 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Mauna Kea, when measured from the sea floor, is considered the tallest mountain in the world at 29,526 feet above the ocean floor. Due to its elevation and distance from urban areas, many of the world's most powerful telescopes are located at the top of Mauna Kea.
Hualalai is located on the west side of the island of Hawaii. Hualalai rises 8,271 feet above sea level and last erupted in 1801. It is considered the third most active volcano in Hawaii, after Kilauea and Mauna Loa.