Kilauea -- Perhaps the World's
             Most ActiveVolcano 

Kilauea is the youngest and southeastern most volcano on the Big Island of Hawai`i. TopographicallyKilauea appears as only a bulge on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa, and so for many years Kilauea was thought to be a mere satellite of its giant neighbor, not a separate volcano. However, research over the past few decades shows clearly that Kilauea has its own magma-plumbing system, extending to the surface from more than 60 km deep in the earth.

 In fact, the summit of Kilauea lies on a curving line of volcanoes that includes Mauna Kea and Kohala and excludes Mauna Loa. In other words, Kilauea is to Mauna Kea as Lo`ihi is to Mauna Loa. Hawaiians used the word Kilauea only for the summit caldera, but earth scientists and, over time, popular usage have extended the name to include the entire volcano.

The eruption of Kilauea Volcano that began in 1983 continues at the cinder-and-spatter cone ofPu`u `O`o (high point on skyline). Lava erupting from the cone flows through a tube system down Pulama pali about 11 km to the sea (lower left). This view is northwest across the coastal plain of Kilauea from Waha`ula to Pu`u `O`o (high point on skyline). Lava flows through several tubes between Pulama pali (steep fault scarp in top part of photo) and the sea. Frequent lava breakouts onto the surface in the past several months has widened the active flow field toward the east (right side of photo). The white fume is an acidic steam plume resulting from the boiling of sea water by hot lava.