Page 1381 - Dive the Seas and More-2
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over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. feet deep and about 1500 feet wide. Most
The smooth, almost glassy lava is of the crater floor is lava from a 1974
eruption.
PAHOEHOE. This lava is formed by DEVASTATION TRAIL 1/2 mile path
extremely hot, liquid lava that has where the forest was destroyed by the
solidified in a molten shape. The chunky, explosive Kilauea Iki fountain eruption of
crumbly, piled-up type of lava is called 1959. The earth is scorched and the trees
A’A, which is formed when the lava is not are torched from the sizzling cinders that
as hot and not totally in molten form. It littered the area over a 36 day period.
crumbles with the movement of the flow.
Remember Pele's curse! Do not take a PUHIMAU CRATER This 525-foot-
souvenir piece of lava home. Many will deep crater’s name translates to “Ever
testify that this act brings a curse upon the Smoking.” It is as deep as it is wide.
souvenir taker until the day that it is Although the Puhimau Crater is not
returned! Please be respectful and save smoking, there is a new 12-acre thermal
yourself from this fate. Removing lava area on its northwest side where the trees
souvenirs is illegal. have died.
LUA MANU CRATER This 327-foot-
HALEMAUMAU TRAIL Moderate 3- diameter pit crater is within Kilauea’s
mile hike (one-way) from the Visitor great caldera, and it is the uppermost
Center, 500 feet down into the Kilauea crater in the Chain of Craters. To its
Crater, and across to the other-worldly northwest are a collection of lava tree
Halemaumau Overlook. molds.
KILAUEA CALDERA A caldera exists KILAUEA IKI CRATER This mile-long
at Kilauea’s summit because of collapse crater formed about 500 years ago. Prior
caused by magma swelling the summit to the 1959 eruption, the crater was 600
area and then draining rapidly into the rift feet deep and heavily forested. It is now
zones. The basin was about 900 feet deep 400 feet deep with a flat lava floor from
when first observed by westerners in the eruption. From Nov. 14 until Dec. 20,
1832. Since then, repeated eruption over- 1959, a spectacular eruption blasted from
flows from Halemaumau Crater and the a fissure into the sky, as shown in this
caldera floor have refilled the basin photo. Shooting lava formed Puu Puai
almost half-way. and sprayed thousands of tons of lava
clear across the crater, splattering it
KEANAKAKOI CRATER This against the north wall and creating a lava
Hawaiian name translates to “Cave of the lake that was 400 feet deep.
Adze’s”, as the smooth pahoehoe lava
here was the preferred adze tool- making KILAUEA IKI TRAIL Wonderful 4.5-
stone in ancient times. The crater is 115 mile trek from the Kilauea Iki Overlook,
