Hawaii’s Shield Volcanoes

Posted by Ted Felber

May 13, 2009

by Ted Felber

Rising out of a thin part of the Earth’s crust over the Pacific Basin, the Hawaiian islands are volcanic in origin, and are among the youngest land masses on the planet. Built from overlapping shield volcanoes, they range in age from the oldest in the northwest, to the youngest, the Big Island (which is still growing).

Merely 70 million years old (only Iceland is younger), these beautiful islands were shape by tropical rains, earthquakes, eruptions and the gentle lapping of the Pacific surf. They’re among the most isolated ecological zones in the world.

Over the course of those years, the Hawaiian chain has been semi-isolated from the rest of the world; there are features on Hawaii that are unique in all the world, from Diamond Head, Haleakala and the Waianae and Koolau mountain ranges on Oahu. The temperance of volcanic rock and the sculpting of the trade winds and surf have made some of the most iconic scenery in the world.

On the Big Island, there are five shield volcanoes - the young and furiously erupting Kilauea, the broodily dormant Mauna Loa and Hualalai, the massive Mauna Kea and the extinct Kohala which is the oldest of the group. These form the backdrops for lush valleys, precipitous canyons, jagged and soaring cliffs and dry deserts, all of which are home to exotic tropical flora and fauna.

Hawaii is home to microclimates, with eleven of them on the Big Island alone, ranging from pristine rainforests, black beaches made of basalt sand, bone dry deserts, and even mountains suitable for skiing! It’s not unreasonable to have a downhill run on Mauna Kea in the morning and sunbathing on Waikiki by afternoon.

There are two shield volcanoes in Maui which created an island in which you can drive from zero to 10,000 feet in 38 miles. On the way, you will pass through tropical beaches, sugar plantations, grassy hills where the paniolo or Hawaiian cowboys ride, up to the Haleakala crater to watch the sunise.

Oahu is the third largest island and is home to Honolulu. It has two parallel mountain ranges, the Waianae in the east and the Koolau in the west, These two shield volcanoes create, between them, three different types of environment. The trade winds dump the heavy rainfall in the east or leeward side, and here the landscape is dotted with waterfalls, lush greenery, giant ferns and colorful tropical plants.

Between these two lies the central Ewa valley which enjoys moderate temperatures and west of Wainae, it is dryer, warmer and the vegetation sparser.

Kauai is the smallest of the “big islands”, and is the home to Mt. Waialeale, which is one of the wettest spots on earth, catching the confluence of the Japan Current and the trade winds and pulling down almost 420 inches of rain a year. To the west is Waimea Canyon, which is cut from red rock like the American Southwest, and a river leading down to the white sandy beaches and cliffs of the Na Pali coast.

Beyond Kauai are the four small islands, which are all older and more weathered than the main islands, and much less populated; without the mountains in the center to catch the rain, most of them are highly desertified.

To the southeast of the Big Island is Loihi, which has been erupting underwater since 1996 - it’s the current location of the Hawaii hot spot. In roughly a quarter of a million years, it’ll break the surface of the ocean as the ninth island in the chain.

About the Author:

Ted Felber is the editor of EnjoyHawaiiVacations.com where you get practical tips and suggestions on the best Hawaii attractions, activities, adventures, lodging, travel deals, vacation packages and more. Click here for More information about shield volcanoes

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