It extends for 9 km (6 miles) and has a prominence of 275 m (902 ft), north of the summit at 19°46′15″ N 155°49′56″ O. The cone is constructed of trachyte, a type of volcanic lava that does not exist in any other volcano in Hawaii. For additional information on Hualalai Volcano, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (Hualalai) page. Hualalai is one of five active shield volcanoes in the Hawaiian Islands that form the big island of Hawaii.
This large shield volcano is located in the northwestern part of the Big Island of Hawaii, in the US state of Hawaii. Hualalai is Hawaii's fourth highest mountain peak, rising to a height of 2,521 m and has a prominence of 936 m. It is also the third most active volcano after Kilauea and Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii. Kilauea volcano is located about 3,048 meters (10,000 feet) below the summit of Mauna Loa.
It is a shield volcano approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) long and 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) wide that accumulated along the Mauna Loa side. The summit of Kilauea is 1,250 meters (4,090 feet) above sea level, 6,096 meters (20,000 feet) above the ocean floor. The summit caldera is 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long, 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) wide and about 120 meters (400) feet deep. Near the southwest edge of the caldera is the campfire, known as Halemaumau (House of Eternal Fire), which has sometimes contained a boiling lava lake.
The well is periodically enlarged by steam jets and collapsing walls. In 1924, it expanded from 610 to 1,070 meters (2,000 to 3,500 feet) in diameter and measured 396 meters (1300 feet) deep. Typical eruptions consist of lava flows that form lava lakes in Halemaumau or elsewhere in the caldera through fissures and crevice zones. However, Halemaumau seems to be the main conduit through which lava reaches the surface.
