When I was 11, I took a helicopter tour with my
parents over Mauna Kea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a
dormant volcano with a peak above sea level making it the highest point in
Hawaii. When it's measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea the tallest
mountain in the world! The most “recent” eruption was about 4,000 years ago,
2460 B.C. It is commonly known to be in its “post-shield” stage meaning as the
volcano moves off the hotspot, the lava production slows down leading to a reduced
eruption rate. The post-shield alkalic stage reduces the thermal productivity
and eventually the “magma chamber” hardens due to a lack of replenishment.
Mauna Kea is currently measured as a volcano displaying quiescence. The quiescent periods between eruptions are long compared to those of the active volcanos on the island (such as Mauna Loa and Kilauea). The eruptive history began to build from the sea floor around 0.8 million years ago. There are swarms of earthquakes beneath Mauna Kea that might signal an eruption can occur, but, such swarms do not always result in an eruption. There is no foretelling of a future eruption, but the island is prepared for any potential result.
Some hazards from Mauna Kea include altitude sickness, sunburn, eye damage, and impaired judgment. There are also weather hazards which include server winds over 100 miles per hour and snow storms. I do remember the training before the tour. The team went over the hazards until they were engraved in everyone’s mind. I do remember being scared about going over this volcano, but it was a site to see. It looks like God’s thumb squished a pile of dirt, leaving an imprint behind. I do remember not being very interested in the views, unlike my parents who snapped photos left and right. When I look back, I wish I could experience the tour all over again!
I do remember the locals warning us not to take the volcano rock home. Apparently, there is a myth that if you take the rock, you will have bad luck. My mom, being the superstitious one was very cautious about me taking home any souvenirs! According to the news clipping my mom kept, it states that Mauna Kea is a great place to ski and snowboard! I didn’t know that a dormant volcano could be a place to do these activities! It also specified that Mauna Kea is the home to the world’s most powerful telescopes and astronomical observations. Being the tallest mountain in the world, I believe this would be a perfect place to stargaze. One day, I will visit Mauna Kea again.
**NOTE** Mauna Kea has a lower altitude than Mount Everest. It would be considered “taller” whereas ME is the world’s “highest” mountain in the world due to its higher elevation above sea level.
Please excuse my dad’s silly face. These photos were taken on my mom’s camera and glued in her photo album, the news article and clippings are from the tour brochure.
References:
Mauna Kea Hazards. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/hazards.htm
Volcano World. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/post-shield-alkalic-stage
Multiple. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/maunakea.html
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