Earth:Haleakalā

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Short description: Massive shield volcano in Hawaii
Haleakalā
East Maui Volcano
Haleakala crater (1).jpg
Haleakalā crater
Highest point
Elevation10,023 ft (3,055 m)
Prominence10,023 ft (3,055 m)
Isolation123 kilometers (76 mi)
Listing
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 20°42′35″N 156°15′12″W / 20.70972°N 156.25333°W / 20.70972; -156.25333 
Geography
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LocationMaui, Hawaii, U.S.
Parent rangeHawaiian Islands
Topo mapUSGS Kilohana (HI)
Geology
Age of rock<1.0 Ma, Pleistocene epoch
Mountain typeShield volcano
Volcanic arc/beltHawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Last eruptionbetween 1480 and 1600[1]
Climbing
Easiest routepaved highway
Sunrise at Haleakalā

Haleakalā (/ˌhɑːliˌɑːkəˈlɑː/; Hawaiian: Hawaiian pronunciation: [ˈhɐlɛˈjɐkəˈlaː]), or the East Maui Volcano, is a massive, active shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The western 25% of the island is formed by another volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, also referred to as the West Maui Mountains.

The tallest peak of Haleakalā ("house of the sun"), at 10,023 feet (3,055 m), is Puʻu ʻUlaʻula (Red Hill). From the summit one looks down into a massive depression some 11.25 km (6.99 mi) across, 3.2 km (2.0 mi) wide, and nearly 800 m (2,600 ft) deep. The surrounding walls are steep and the interior mostly barren-looking with a scattering of volcanic cones.

History

Early Hawaiians applied the name Haleakalā ("house of the sun") to the general mountain. Haleakalā is also the name of a peak on the southwestern edge of Kaupō Gap. In Hawaiian folklore, the depression (crater) at the summit of Haleakalā was home to the grandmother of the demigod Māui. According to the legend, Māui's grandmother helped him capture the sun and force it to slow its journey across the sky in order to lengthen the day.

Geology

Haleakala has produced numerous eruptions in the last 30,000 years, including ten eruptions in the past 1,000 years and at least one in the last 400-600 years, making it the only active volcano on the island of Maui.[2] This volcanic activity has been along two rift zones: the southwest and east. These two rift zones together form an arc that extends from La Perouse Bay on the southwest, through the Haleakalā Crater, and to Hāna to the east. The east rift zone continues under the ocean beyond the east coast of Maui as Haleakalā Ridge, making the combined rift zones one of the longest in the Hawaiian Islands chain.[citation needed] In its prime, Haleakala may have reached a height of 12,000 feet before water and wind erosion, and possibly glaciers, began to carve two large river valleys out of the rim.[citation needed] Eventually, these valleys formed gaps that merged at the volcano summit to create a crater-like basin.

Haleakala, also known as East Maui Volcano,[3] was previously thought to have last erupted around 1790, based largely on comparisons of maps made during the voyages of La Perouse and George Vancouver. However, in 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey published in a column that radiocarbon dating indicated that the last eruption was more likely to have taken place sometime between 1480 and 1600.[4][5] These last flows from the southwest rift zone of Haleakalā make up the large lava deposits of the Ahihi Kina`u/La Perouse Bay area of South Maui.

Contrary to popular belief, Haleakalā crater is not volcanic in origin, nor can it accurately be called a caldera (which is formed when the summit of a volcano collapses to form a depression). Scientists believe that Haleakalā's crater was formed when the headwalls of two large erosional valleys merged at the summit of the volcano. These valleys formed the two large gaps — Koʻolau on the north side and Kaupō on the south — on either side of the depression.

Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson state it this way:

Haleakalā is far smaller than many volcanic craters (calderas); there is an excellent chance that it is not extinct, but only dormant; and strictly speaking it is not of volcanic origin, beyond the fact that it exists in a volcanic mountain.[6]

Haleakala as seen looking northwest from Big Island, Hawaii, near Kawaihae, 85 kilometers (53 mi) away

Volcanic hazard

Lava Flow Hazard map of Haleakala. The Maui Hazard Zone numbers are two less than the equivalent Hawaiʻi Hazard Zone numbers.[7]

On the island of Hawaiʻi, lava-flow hazards are rated on a scale of one through nine with one being the zone of highest hazard and nine being the zone of lowest hazard. For example, the summits and rift zones of Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes are rated Hazard Zone 1.[8]

Using this same scale, preliminary estimates of lava-flow hazard zones on Maui made in 1983 by the U.S. Geological Survey rated the summit and southwest rift zone of Haleakala as Hazard Zone 3. The steep, downslope areas of the Kanaio and Kahikinui ahupuaʻa and the area north of Hana are rated as Hazard Zone 4. Other areas of Haleakala are rated comparable to the lava-flow hazards of Mauna Kea and Kohala (Hazard Zones 7 through 9).[7][8]

These high hazard estimates for Haleakala are based on the frequency of its eruptions. Haleakala has erupted three times in approximately the last 900 years. By way of comparison, both Mauna Loa and Kilauea have erupted more than a dozen times each in the last 90 years. Hualalai has an eruption rate comparable to Haleakala. All of Hualalai is rated as Hazard Zone 4. However, the frequency of eruption of a volcano is only one of the criteria on which hazards are based. The other important criterion is the lava flow coverage rate. Using the preliminary dates for Haleakala flows, only 8.7 square miles (23 km2) of lava flows have been emplaced in the last 900 years. In comparison, approximately 43 square miles (110 km2) of Hualalai are covered with flows 900 years old or younger and approximately 104 square miles (270 km2) on Kilauea and 85 square miles (220 km2) on Mauna Loa are covered by lavas less than 200 years old. Thus, Haleakala is a distant fourth in coverage rates.[8]

According to the United States Geological Survey Volcano Warning Scheme for the United States, the Volcano Alert Level for Haleakala (As of June 2021) was "normal".[9] A "Normal" status is used to designate typical volcanic activity in a background, non-eruptive phase.[10]

Endangered species

Nēnē

The nēnē bird is on the endangered species list. The bird was once on all the islands of Hawaii but now it is only on the Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. Habitat loss, hunting, and introduction of mammals caused the bird population to dwindle.[11] Since 2010, only 2,000 birds were left. These birds were then kept in captivity to increase the population.

Silversword

This rare species of Silversword is fragile and lives only upon the slopes of Haleakalā.

Haleakala silversword is a quintessential plant of Haleakalā since it grows nowhere else on Earth. Climate change has been threatening the population of this plant due to hotter temperatures and lower rainfall. The park service has erected fences to prevent damage from local herbivores and from visitors taking the plants as souvenirs.[12]

Forest birds

Several species of native forest birds across Hawaiʻi are nearly extinct, including the kiwikiu and 'ākohekohe that are found only in East Maui, whose population decreased by more than 70% in the 21st century. A primary threat is mosquito-borne diseases such as avian malaria. Attempts to relocate kiwikiu to higher elevations were unsuccessful in protecting the population as mosquitos also rose into higher elevation habitats after the 1980s.[13]

The working group Birds, Not Mosquitos[14] joined with the National Park Service and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop strategies to address the threat.[15] In 2022 the group proposed to attack the mosquito problem using the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT). IIT has been successfully implemented in other places.[16] The plan was to release naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria present in the southern house mosquito (SHM). The offspring of infected males do not reproduce. Males were to be released repeatedly. Monitoring to guide the frequency, number, and location of releases was to continue throughout the project.[17]

Modern uses

National Park

Surrounding and including the crater is Haleakalā National Park, a 30,183-acre (122.15 km2) park, of which 24,719 acres (100.03 km2) are wilderness.[18] The park includes the summit depression, Kipahulu Valley on the southeast, and ʻOheʻo Gulch (and pools), extending to the shoreline in the Kipahulu area. From the summit, there are two main trails leading into Haleakalā: Sliding Sands Trail and Halemauʻu Trail.

The temperature near the summit tends to vary between about 40 and 60 °F (4 and 16 °C) and, especially given the thin air and the possibility of dehydration at that elevation, the walking trails can be more challenging than one might expect. This is aggravated by the fact that trails lead downhill from parking areas into the crater. Because of this, hikers are faced with a difficult return ascent after potentially descending 2000 ft or more to the crater floor. Despite this, Haleakalā is popular with tourists and locals alike, who often venture to its summit, or to the visitor center just below the summit, to view the sunrise. There is lodging in the form of a few simple cabins, though no food or gas is available in the park.[19] To help with preservation efforts, Haleakala National Park started requiring a sunrise reservation to enter Haleakala National Park between the hours of 3:00 AM and 7:00 AM HST.[20]

Astrophysical research

Main page: Astronomy:Haleakala Observatory
The Space Surveillance Systems

Because of the remarkable clarity, dryness, and stillness of the air, and its elevation (with atmospheric pressure of 71 kilopascals (530 mmHg)[21]), as well as the absence of the lights of major cities, the summit of Haleakalā is one of the most sought-after locations in the world for ground-based telescopes (though to a lesser extent than Mauna Kea on neighboring Hawaii). As a result of the geographic importance of this observational platform, experts come from all over the world to take part in research at "Science City", an astrophysical complex operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, University of Hawaii, Smithsonian Institution, United States Air Force , Federal Aviation Administration, and others.

Some of the telescopes operated by the US Department of Defense are involved in researching man-made (e.g. spacecraft, monitoring satellites, rockets, and laser technology) rather than celestial objects. The program is in collaboration with defense contractors in the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei. The astronomers on Haleakalā are concerned about increasing light pollution as Maui's population grows. Nevertheless, new telescopes are added, such as the Pan-STARRS in 2006.[22][23]

Transportation

Public road to summit of Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii

A well traveled Haleakalā Highway, completed in 1935, is a road mainly composed of switchbacks that leads to the peak of Haleakala.[24] The road is open to the public (although parts of it are restricted) and is a well-maintained two-lane highway containing many blind turns and very steep dropoffs. Local animals, including cattle, are often encountered in the roadway. The Park Service charges a vehicle entrance fee of $30 (US). Public transportation does not go through the park, but there are four vehicle based tour companies (Polynesian Adventure Tours, Skyline Eco Adventures, Haleakala EcoTours, and Valley Isle Excursions) that operate tours of the park and trips to the summit.[25]

There are three Sunset and Stargazing tours permitted within Haleakala National Park. Arrive for sunset and stay to look through a telescope after dark. Cycling and horseback riding are other popular ways to explore the park. There are a few tour guides on Maui that pick people up at their hotels, and outfit them with a bicycle to glide down the road from just outside the National Park boundary (starting at 6500 ft altitude). Tour operators used to run bike rides down the entire 27 miles from the summit, but in 2007 the National Park Service suspended all commercial bicycle activity within the park boundaries, following multiple fatal accidents.[26] Some tour operators now offer a modified version of the service which descends 6,500 feet from outside of the National Park.[27]

Climate

Haleakalā's summit experiences a cold-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen classification Csc), one of the few locations in the world with this climate type. The Haleakalā Ranger station, at a lower elevation, lies in the subtropical highland (Cfb) climate zone.

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See also

Notes

  1. ↑ HVO, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. "East Maui volcano (Haleakala), Hawai'i". usgs.gov. http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanoes/haleakala/main.html. 
  2. ↑ "Active Volcanoes of Hawaii | U.S. Geological Survey". https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/active-volcanoes-hawaii. 
  3. ↑ "Haleakalā | U.S. Geological Survey". https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/haleakal%C4%81. 
  4. ↑ Sherrod, David R.; Hagstrum, Jonathan T.; McGeehin, John P.; Champion, Duane E.; Trusdell, Frank A. (May 2006). "Distribution, 14 C chronology, and paleomagnetism of latest Pleistocene and Holocene lava flows at Haleakalā volcano, Island of Maui, Hawai'i: A revision of lava flow hazard zones: HOLOCENE LAVA FLOWS, HALEAKALA, MAUI". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 111 (B5). doi:10.1029/2005JB003876. 
  5. ↑ "Youngest lava flows on East Maui probably older than A.D. 1790". United States Geological Survey. September 9, 1999. https://www.usgs.gov/center-news/volcano-watch-youngest-lava-flows-east-maui-probably-older-ad-1790. 
  6. ↑ Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson p. 391
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "How do Maui lava-flow hazard zone numbers compare to those on Hawaii island?". Lava-Flow Hazard Zones, Island of Hawai'i, Frequently Asked Questions. USGS. http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/FAQ_LavaFlowHazardZone/P2.html#compare. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey website http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/1996/96_11_27.html.
  9. ↑ USGS. "Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Monthly Update". usgs.gov. https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans2/index/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2021-06-03T16:45:05-07:00. 
  10. ↑ "Volcanic alert-levels characterize conditions at U.S. volcanoes". https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/about-alert-levels. 
  11. ↑ "Nēnē, the Hawaiian Goose - Haleakalā National Park (U.S. National Park Service)" (in en). https://www.nps.gov/hale/learn/nature/haleakala-nene.htm. 
  12. ↑ Makawao, Mailing Address: Haleakalā National Park PO Box 369; Us, HI 96768 Phone:572-4400 Contact. "Haleakala Silverswords - Haleakalā National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". https://www.nps.gov/hale/learn/nature/silversword.htm. 
  13. ↑ "Parkplanning - Suppression of Invasive Mosquito Populations to Reduce Transmission of Avian Malaria to Threatened and Endangered Forest Birds on East Maui". December 2022. https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=102795. 
  14. ↑ "Endangered Hawaiian Birds Conservation" (in en). https://www.birdsnotmosquitoes.org/. 
  15. ↑ "New Strategy Aimed at Saving Hawaiʻi Forest Birds | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service" (in en). 2022-12-15. https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2022-12/new-strategy-aimed-saving-hawaii-forest-birds. 
  16. ↑ Cerizo, Kehaulani (December 11, 2022). "East Maui project hopes mosquito v. mosquito mating battle will save endangered birds | Maui Now". https://mauinow.com/2022/12/11/east-maui-project-hopes-mosquito-v-mosquito-mating-battle-will-save-endangered-birds/. 
  17. ↑ "Public meeting notice". National Park Service. December 2022. https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=306&projectID=102795&documentID=125205. 
  18. ↑ "Park Management". Haleakalā National Park. National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/hale/parkmgmt/. 
  19. ↑ Decker, Robert; Decker, Barbara (2001). Volcanoes In America's National Parks. New York: WW Norton & Company Inc.. p. 133. ISBN 978-962-217-677-5. https://archive.org/details/volcanoesinameri0000deck/page/133. 
  20. ↑ "Haleakala Sunrise Reservations". https://letsgotomaui.net/haleakala-sunrise-reservations/. 
  21. ↑ "air pressure". https://www.altitude.org/air-pressure. 
  22. ↑ "Watching and waiting". The Economist. 2008-12-04. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12719347.  From the print edition
  23. ↑ Robert Lemos (2008-11-24). "Giant Camera Tracks Asteroids". Technology Review (MIT). http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/21705/page1/. 
  24. ↑ Duensing, Dawn E. (2009). "Haleakalā Highway". Journal of Pacific History 44 (3): 303–324. doi:10.1080/00223340903356864. 
  25. ↑ "Staff Writer" (in en). The Nutting Company. https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2017/04/haleakala-national-park-sets-trimmed-list-of-tour-companies/. 
  26. ↑ "National Park Service suspends popular Hawaii bike tour". Associated Press. 2007-10-10. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-10-10-hawaii-bike-suspension_N.htm. 
  27. ↑ "Downhill Maui Bike Tours & Rentals in Maui, Hawaii". https://www.bikemaui.com/. 
  28. ↑ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=hfo. 
  29. ↑ "Station: Haleakala RS 338, HI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00511004&format=pdf. 
  30. ↑ "Haleakala Summit 338, Hawaii (511008)". Western Regional Climate Center. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?hi1008. 

References

External links



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