Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

A Volcano Wonderland Every day on the island of Hawaii, red-hot lava seeps from a volcano on the edge of the ocean. When the lava cools, it turns into solid rock and makes the island a little bigger. This volcano, called Kilauea(kee-luh-WAY-uh), is part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, More than one million people visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park each year, National parks are areas of special, protected land.

Volcanoes Form a Park A volcano begins when melted rock from deep inside Earth comes out through a crack in Earth's surface. When it reaches the surface, it cools into solid rock. The rock builds up over time. The rock may form a mountain or even an island. This is how the Hawaiian Islands formed. Two of the world's most amazing volcanoes are found in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

One volcano is Kilauea, whose name means" spewing" in Hawaiian. It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Kilauea has been spewing out rivers of thick lava almost continuously since 1983. Scientists think that Kilauea began forming between 300, 000 and600, 000 years ago. They think it probably appeared as an island50, 000 to 100, 000 years ago.

In 1790, at least eighty people were killed when Kilauea erupted. Then, in 1924, more eruptions at Kilauea threw huge rocks around the area. Some were as heavy as 8 tons (7, 258 kg)

Nearby is another volcano called Mauna Loa (MOU-nuh LOH-uh), whose name means " long mountain" in Hawaiian. It is one of the biggest mountains on Earth. From its base far beneath the ocean, auna Loa is more than 10 miles (16 km) high.