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Volcanic Hazards on the Island of Hawai`i
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![Lava fountain and lava flows on Pu`u `O`o, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090109014412im_/http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/dds24167_S.jpg)
Lava flows are the primary hazard
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![People watching lava pour into sea, Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090109014412im_/http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/dds24463_S.jpg)
Lava entering sea can be dangerous
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Ever since lava first erupted above sea level over 500,000
years ago to begin building the Island of Hawai`i, countless
eruptions from its five volcanoes have built the "Big Island"
to a towering height of more than 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Its
two most active volcanoes -- Mauna Loa and Kilauea -- erupt
lava frequently enough to pose a serious hazard to property
on many parts of the island. About 40 percent of Mauna Loa
has been covered by lava in the past 1,000 years and over
90 percent of Kilauea's surface is covered by lava less
than 1,100 years old. As land development expands toward
areas of relatively high hazard, the threat to life and
property on Hawai`i will increase accordingly.
Types of Volcano Hazards at Hawaiian volcanoes
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The following hazards are described in the USGS publication,
Volcanic
and Seismic Hazards on the Island of Hawai`i,
revised and reprinted in 1997:
- lava flows
- tephra (airborne lava fragments)
- volcanic gases
- explosive eruptions
- ground cracks and settling
When lava meets the sea
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New land the size of several football fields can collapse
into the ocean with little or no warning, and the intensity
of lava-seawater explosions can change suddenly. Find out how
new land is created when lava enters the sea and how to
identify areas near lava-entry points that are safe for viewing.
Lava-flow
hazard zones on the Island of Hawai`i
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Hazard zones from lava flows are based chiefly on the location and
frequency of historic and prehistoric eruptions and the topography
of the volcanoes. Scientists have prepared a map that divides the five
volcanoes of the Island of Hawai`i into zones that are ranked from 1
through 9 based on the relative likelihood of coverage by lava flows.
Hazards
Posed by Volcanoes
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Illustrations, descriptions, and animation of hazards posed by volcanoes
worldwide, including tephra, lahars, lava flows, pyroclastic flows,
landslides, and volcanic gas.
The URL of this page is
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/
Contact:
hvowebmaster@usgs.gov
Updated: 17 May 2005 (pnf)
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