 The
Chain of Craters Road, on the Big Island of Hawaii,
is a 20-mile, paved road that is located inside the
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It connects and
provides visitor's access to a series of volcanic features
including craters, active and dormant lava flows, and scenic
views of tropical rain forests, mountains, wilderness areas,
and seacoast areas.
Adjacent to the Chain of Craters Road is the 11-mile
Crater Rim Drive that circles around Kilauea
Caldera.
The
geology along the road can be divided into four areas
characterized by different features and the age of the rocks
(see the map below for links and more details on each spot).
The road begins on the upper
East Rift Zone of
Kilauea where pit craters are common. This area receives
enough rain to support rainforest. About 3 miles down the
road is Mauna Ulu, a vent that was active from
1969-1974. Much of this area is covered by fresh-looking
lava flows. Vegetation is sparse because of the young age of
the lava flows and the lower amount of rainfall that
precipitates in the area. At about 10 miles, the road
descends the steep Hilina Pali
fault system,
which marks the top of a giant landslide. The road continues
in the Coastal Area on the
gently-sloping south flank of the volcano. The rocks here
are 500-750 year old. Vegetation here is sparse as well due
too the low rainfall. At the end of the road is the lava
viewing area and the youngest rocks in the park. Viewing
conditions often change. If your heart is set on seeing
lava, Kilauea Eruption Viewing Conditions can usually be
obtained by asking the Rangers. Most of the time, you
likely will not see lava though; much of it flows in
underground tubes to the ocean. Regardless of what the
eruption is doing though, the Chain of Craters Road is one
of the most scenic and spectacular drives in any national
park in the United States.
That said,
let's take a virtual
journey along the Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii... |
