Wrath of Pele
The Hawaiian volcano of Kilauea is thrown up since 1983, and the end to it it is not visible. During the 23 years lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean, has created more than 200 hectares of new land. However, the land existing spoiled with a lot more - 10 hectares. The now impassable roads, burned forests, homes, "put" in the frozen lava - all the tricks of fire-breathing mountains. In 1990, its eruption completely destroyed the two cities - Kalapalo and Qaim.
Kilauea is considered one of the most active - if not the most active - the modern volcano. The caldera at its summit - a pro-fall about 6 km in diameter and 165 m depth. "If at the bottom of it placed the entire Russian army, which - once joked Mark Twain, who visited the Kilauea - and it would still have plenty of free space!" This caldera was active about a half a century - until 1954, now lava erupts from a small vents Puu Oo in the eastern part of the mountain.
Sometimes Kilauea exploded as it was in 1924 or in 1959, when the fountain of hot substances beat up a few hundred meters. These days, the eruption can be considered "low-intensity" - the magma reaches the surface with little bursts, and the people can always "miss each other" with slowly approaching lava flows.
Hawaiian archipelago - is a long chain of volcanoes, mostly long extinct. Volcanic activity in full swing only on the island of Hawaii - the largest and the youngest. The whole island is a five coalesced volcanoes. The highest of them - Mauna Kea - rises above sea level at 4205 m. It is considered extinct, but apparently erupted by geological standards recently - about 4 thousand years ago. And judging by the variations in the earth's crust, is still able to wake up.
Two active volcanoes of Hawaii - Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The height of the last - about 9 thousand meters (if to consider from the bottom hidden under water). And Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea would be higher Chomolungma if stood on dry land. But above the water surface of Mauna Loa appears only at 4170 meters. However, the volcano grows slowly, as regularly erupts. During the eruption, which lasted for most of 1859, a powerful stream of lava was 50 km over land (which way he went on the bottom of the sea - unknown). But most of all, as expected, Mauna Loa has erupted in 1950 - then he threw from the bowels of the Earth 450 million cubic meters of substance!
In 1984 Mauna Loa silent. But since July 2004 seismologists Hawaiian volcano-logical Observatory again register earthquakes. This may presage a new eruption.
There are other signs of impending disaster. For example, some eruptions in Hawaii, was preceded by a low rumble, whose nature is still unclear. Locals call it the "voice of Pele" - Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. In honor of the fearsome goddess named in Hawaii and some volcanic formations. Say, "tears of Pele" - is a spray of frozen lava, save the form of droplets, and "hair Pele" - streams of volcanic glass obsidian, which are formed when lava cools rapidly entering the ocean. Now the goddess, of course, lives on Kilauea volcano - probably because he is erupts, without ceasing. In comparison with the Mauna Loa it is a baby - only 1,247 m in height. However, as the look. To the same Mark Twain even Vesuvius seemed "puppet volcano" and "saucepan" compared with Kilauea.
Get to know the turbulent history of the Hawaiian archipelago, which numbers 70 million years, it is possible to Volcanoes National Park. It was created in 1916 on the slopes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The park occupies nearly 135 hectares. Calderas, craters, stunning landscapes with streams of lava of volcanic ash and the masses - all this attracts many tourists.