TECTONIC CASE STUDY - KILAUEA VOLCANO, HAWAII (DEVELOPED COUNTRY)

Question 1

WHEN ??

Answer 1

ACTIVE FOR 23,000 YEARS

CONTINUOUSLY ERUPTING SINCE 1983

Question 2

WHERE ??

Answer 2

KILAUEA IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTH OF BIG ISLAND
WITHIN THE HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

SITS ON THE SHOULDER ON MAUNA LOA AND THE SUMMIT OIS ONLY 1247 M (4091 FT )

Question 3

KEY FACTS

Answer 3

SHIELD VOLCANO

HOTSPOT VOLCANO

YOUNGEST AND MOST ACTIVE HAWAIIAN SHIELD VOLCANO

SINCE 1952 = 34 ERUPTIONS AND HAS BEEN ERUPTING CONTINUALLY SINCE JANUARY 3rd 1983

KILAUEA VOLCANO = ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE ON THE ENTIRE PLANET

HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES ERUPTS BASALTIC LAVA WHICH HAS LOW VISCOSITY

MOST ERUPTIONS ARE GENTLY EFFUSIVE LAVA FLOWS WHICH CAN TRAVEL FAR FROM THE VENT

Question 4

KEY IMPACTS

Answer 4

DESTROYED BY LAVA FLOWS = 181 RESIDENCES, SEVERAL COMMUNITY CENTRES AND ONE COMMERCIAL SITE ALL WITHIN THE 8 YEARS OF ERUPTION

SEMI-FREQUENT ACID RAINS IN NEARBY KA’U DESERT

AIR QUALITY DIMINISHED ON THE BIG ISLAND OWING TO GASES FROM THE ERUPTION

DAMAGE TO NATURAL VEGETATION, CULTIVATED CROPS, AUTOMOBILES, AND MACHINERY

NEW COASTLINE TO THE ISLAND

Question 5

RESPONSES

Answer 5

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY HOSTS RESEARCH ON VOLCANOES

US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MONITOR THE VOLCANO

CREATION OF THE HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK

2.6MILLION TOURISTS VISIT THE VOLCANO EACH YEAR COMBINED WITH ITS ACTIVE YET DOCILE NATURE