GG 103 Volcanic Hazards on the Island of Hawai`i Study Guide
Lava entering sea can be dangerous Lava flows are the primary hazard
Ever since lava first erupted above sea level over 500,000 years ago to begin building the Island of Hawai`i, countless eruptions from its five volcanoes have built the "Big Island" to a towering height of more than 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Its two most active volcanoes -- Mauna Loa and
Kilauea -- erupt lava frequently enough to pose a serious hazard to property on many parts of the island. About 40 percent of Mauna Loa has been covered by lava in the past 1,000 years and over
90 percent of Kilauea's surface is covered by lava less than 1,100 years old. As land development expands toward areas of relatively high hazard, the threat to life and property on Hawai`i will increase accordingly. As of March 8, the Kilauea's lava flow is racing towards the sea entry.
Types of Volcano Hazards at Hawaiian volcanoes
Hazards associated with Hawaiian volcanism on the Island of Hawai`i, including lava flows, tephra, gas, and ground cracks and settling.
The following hazards are described in the USGS publication, Volcanic and Seismic Hazards on the Island of Hawai`i : http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/hazards.html
 lava flows
 tephra (airborne lava fragments)
 volcanic gases
 explosive eruptions
 ground cracks and settling
When lava meets the sea http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/oceanentry/main.html
New land the size of several football fields can collapse into the ocean with little or no warning, and the intensity of lava-seawater explosions can change suddenly. Find out how new land is created when lava enters the sea and how to identify areas near lava-entry points that are safe for viewing. http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/oceanentry/main.html
 When lava meets the sea : introduction
 Collapse of new land into the sea Growth and Collapse of Lava Deltas
 http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/oceanentry/deltacollapse/
 Explosions at lava entry points http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/oceanentry/deltaexplosions/
 Waves send scalding water onto new land
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 http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/howwork/entrytemp/main.html
Lava-flow hazard zones on the Island of Hawai`i http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/maps.html
Hazard zones from lava flows are based chiefly on the location and frequency of historic and prehistoric eruptions and the topography of the volcanoes. Scientists have prepared a map that divides the five volcanoes of the Island of Hawai`i into zones that are ranked from 1 through 9 based on the relative likelihood of coverage by lava flows.

Hazards Posed by Volcanoes
Illustrations, descriptions, and animation of hazards posed by volcanoes worldwide, including tephra, lahars, lava flows, pyroclastic flows, landslides, and volcanic gas.
Real time monitoring and information: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/hazards/