Hualalai and Mauna Kea are in stage 5.When moving to Maui, East Maui is in stage 7, while West Maui is between stages 7 and 8. Geologists believe that about 300,000 years ago, the Hualalai volcano rose above sea level. Hualalai is considered the third youngest and is the westernmost of the five major volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands. Occupying an area of 751 sqm, Hualalai covers approximately 7% of the island of Hawaii and has a volume of 12,400 cubic kilometers.
The Hualalai dome has a length of 39 km and a maximum width of 32 km. There are three fissure zones in Hualalai and more than one hundred cones of ash and splashes arranged along these crack zones. However, there is no summit caldera in Hualalai, but there is a collapsed crater located about 0.48 km through a small lava shield. A significant part of the southern slope of Hualalai is covered by a layer of volcanic ash 10 to 100 cm thick.
Geological studies have revealed that for the past 5,000 years, a significant part of the Hualalai volcano's surface has been covered by lava flows formed by alkaline basalt shield. About 100,000 years ago, Hualalai volcano entered its post-shield stage of development. Therefore, Hualalai volcano is relatively rougher in shape and structure compared to the active Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcanoes.
For residents of the Kona area, keep in mind that Hualalai has not erupted since 1801; Mauna Loa is considered active but has not erupted since 1984. As the age of the volcano increases, the chemical components of the lava begin to change and contain different substances, rich in sodium and potassium. Virtual tour of the Marine National Monument of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands with photographs of the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago in various stages of aging.
The volcano is in its old state when the caldera is full and when the top of the shield is covered with a sleeping cod. The oldest of Hawaii's volcanoes, the Kohala volcano, has been known to have broken the ocean surface in exactly this way millions of years ago. Being in the post-shield stage of development, HualÄlai is generally much rougher in shape and structure than the younger Mauna Loa and KÄ “lauea.
Scientists, therefore, consider Hualalai to be potentially active, as it is expected to erupt again in the next 100 years. Volcanologists believe that Hualalai has a recurrence interval of around 200 to 300 years depending on its volcanic activity.
