Kilauea is located on the Big Island of the Hawaiian Island chain, so named because it is the largest island (super original). The island also shares a name with the State of Hawai'i, but is referred to as "The Big Island" or "Hawai'i Island" to distinguish it from the name of the state.
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| Satellite photo of Kilauea caldera |
Kilauea is a shield volcano, a type of volcano comprised almost entirely of liquid lava flows. Due to this, shield volcanoes are typically low and wide, resembling a shield lying on the ground. True to form, Kilauea's eruptions have been near constant with fluid magma bubbling out of the mouth of the volcano for the last 30+ years.
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| Kilauea lava flow (Science News) |
Not located at the junction of any tectonic plates, Kilauea is a hotspot volcano. This type of volcano is formed by magma pushing directly through the crust. As the tectonic plates move over the hotspot, new mountains (undersea or visible) are formed. The Hawaiian hotspot is responsible for the formation of the Hawaiian islands, as well as many other under-sea mountains. Kilauea is the youngest of the Hawaiian hotspot volcanoes and one of the few still active.
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| Graphic representation of hotspot volcano formation |
Kilauea represents little danger to the residents of Hawai'i beyond the danger posed by liquid lava flows. There is nearly no explosive eruption risk, only the nearly unstoppable nature of the large lava flows that have been witnessed throughout history. This type of flow presents its own dangers, as the residents of Leilani found out in 2018.
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