VEI 0 - Kilauea, Hawaii

• Worlds most active volcano (constantly erupting) 
• Shield Volcano, Hotspot on Pacific plate 
• Makes up South eastern side of Hawaii (14% of land)
• 4190 feet above sea level
• Oval-shaped caldera, 2 and a half miles long and 2 miles wide 

Impacts:

• Destroyed hundreds of homes & other structures 
• Frequently damages local utilities & roads 

1990 - Lava field which consumed almost the whole town of Kalapana 

What to do about the hazard? 

• USGS conducts research and created hazard maps
• USGS monitors the way that the Volcano National Park is used - Rangers ensure people stay in safe areas 

Potential Hazards:

Lava flows, Tephra, Volcanic Gases, Explosive eruptions, Ground cracks and settling

• 2,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, per day, released into the atmosphere.
• This gas is carried up the Kona coast by low-altitude winds, reacting with moisture in the air to form sulphuric acid droplets known as vog 
• Vog contributes to breathing problems & acid rain, damaging crops