GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Kīlauea Volcano is a shield volcano located on the eastern slope of Mauna Loa Volcano on the Island of Hawai’i. The volcano is considered to be in the shield-building stage of Hawaiian volcanism .

Detailed explanation-2: -Kilauea is a basaltic shield volcano, erupting a type of basalt known as tholeiite. This type of lava is the dominant extrusive during the shield building (the main stage) of hawaiian volcanism and is the dominant basalt type erupted on Earth.

Detailed explanation-3: -Most shield volcanoes are formed from fluid, basaltic lava flows. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are shield volcanoes. They are the world’s largest active volcanoes, rising over 9 km above the sea floor around the island of Hawai’i.

Detailed explanation-4: -Most shield volcano eruptions are nonexplosive (effusive), usually 0-1 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), typically in the Hawaiian eruptive style. These eruptions produce fluid lava flows and may produce fire-fountains. High rates of eruptions help produce lava flows that travel fast and can cover large areas.

Detailed explanation-5: -Kilauea’s oldest lava flows are dated between 210, 000 and 280, 000 years ago. Those flows are considered generally young, geologically speaking, for an active volcano. For the last one thousand years, Kilauea’s ongoing eruptions have dramatically shaped the southeast portion of the Big Island of Hawaii.