How Many Volcanoes Does Hawaii Have?
A Land of Many Volcanoes, Both Old and Young
Each of the eight main Hawaiian islands, stretching from the Big Island at the southern tip to Kauai up north, is the product of volcanic action. Although many of these once-active volcanoes are extinct now, having not had any activity for millions of years in some cases, they all produced lava during their younger years. Due to tectonic plate movement over the Hawaii hotspot, blazing rock from the Earth’s mantle rises to the surface over the hotspot and erupts.
Some five million years old and at the far north of the island chain, Kauai is the most ancient of these hot spot-formed volcanoes. The volcanic islands are progressively younger as you head south from Kauai to Oahu, Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. Out of these older islands, Maui is the only one that still has an active volcano, Haleakala, which last erupted 6-8,000 years ago.
The Big Island: Still Erupting and Coming Into Being
The Big Island, younger than the other isles by millions of years, is still erupting and expanding in real-time. As it sits directly over the hotspot, all of its five volcanoes are less than a million years old. Their age may seem ancient in our fast-paced times, but in volcanic years, they are merely coming into being.
Much the same way the island chain gets younger from north to south, the same is true of the Big Island itself. Up north, Kohala and Mauna Kea are the oldest on the island, with Mauna Kea last erupting around 4,600 years ago and Kohala over 100,000 years ago.
Volcano Village: Where the Youngest and Most Active Volcanoes Are Just Minutes Away
Further south, and even closer to the hotspot churning 900 miles below the Earth’s surface, are the three enterprising youngsters of the Big Island volcano family: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, and the less-famous Hualalai.
While it’s been a couple of hundred years since Hualalai’s last activity, Mauna Loa had a massive eruption in 1984 and Kilauea is likely currently erupting as you read this. From Volcano Village Lodge, you are just minutes away from both Kilauea and Mauna Loa, the centerpieces of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Start by exploring these two active volcanoes right nearby, and then expand your reach to include other regions of the Big Island, where each of the volcanic zones offers a unique landscape to discover.
Reserve your stay today in the land of volcanoes!
