History: How the Hawaii Volcanoes Were Formed

Despite the Hawaii volcanoes' awesome power for destruction, which is rarely dangerous to human life, Hawaiians have always cherished and respected the impressive mountains. Ever since the first people arrived here about 1,500 years ago in huge double-hulled, ocean-going canoes, Hawaiians have woven fascinating legends about the gods and goddesses who inhabit the volcanoes and cause them to erupt.

For centuries, Hawaiian legends have explained the way volcanic islands form: Pele, the goddess of fire, moves from place to place around the islands. As she tells others the story of her travels, she stamps her foot, making the earth tremble and forming a new island.

According to legend, Kilauea is the home of Pele, goddess of the volcano.
©2006 National Park Services
According to legend, Kilauea is the home of Pele, goddess of the volcano,
who is thought to reside in Halemaumau Crater. Some Hawaiians still make
offerings of berries and flowers to placate her fiery temper.

Geologists know that there is some truth to this legend. The spot where an island is likely to appear does move from place to place. Scientists explain this with a theory of "hot spots" and plate tectonics. For some unknown reason, there are more than 100 hot spots beneath the earth's surface. These places produce more molten rock, or magma, than is produced elsewhere. The Hawaiian hot spot, it turns out, is one of the largest.

The hot spots are stationary, but the dozen or so great plates that make up the crust of the earth are not. The Pacific plate is in constant motion at the rate of about four inches a year. As the plate moves over the Hawaiian hot spot, enough magma rises to create a new island. This young island is pulled away from the hot spot by the movement of the plate, and in time another island forms over the hot spot.

How many vacation spots offer access to temperamental natural forces in such a beautiful setting? Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lets you get up close and personal with lava, one of the most destructive forces on earth, set in the lush environment you can find only in Hawaii.

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