Science: Volcano Research

 Hi there!

Kīlauea erupting on 26/10/2018

In Science class, we have started learning about Earth Science. Today I will be sharing my knowledge about Kīlauea, a Hawaiian volcano. 

Kīlauea is located on the largest island which makes up the islands, Hawai‘i. It is the southeastern most volcano on Hawai‘i. It is a shield volcano, it is called this because it looks like a broad volcano which looks similar to a shield. 

Kīlauea is special because it is home to Pele, the Hawiian volcano goddess. Chants and oral traditions tell of lots of angry eruptions of Pele after the arrival of the first European on the island, a missionary named Rev. From topography, it appears Kīlauea is only a bulge on Mauna Loa, so it was thought to be a neighbour and not actually a separate volcano. Research shows Kīlauea is a separate volcano which produces its own magma plumbing system, more than 60km below the surface. 

Not an image of the current eruption

Kīlauea is currently erupting, it started on the 29th of September 2021. There isn't any damage as the lava is still in the crater and only affecting one vent. However, this is good news for the scientists who research Kīlauea. The volcano summit colapsed in 2018, so it is the first time since the 2018 that lava has been seen at Kīlauea since then. 

Thanks for reading!