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Volcanic ridges of Haleakala's summit valley stand sentinel above an ethereal ocean of clouds as golden sunlight illuminates the landscape at dawn. This massive shield volcano, rising 10,023 feet above sea level but extending an impressive 28,000 feet from the ocean floor, represents a living laboratory where geologists study the complex formation of Hawaiian islands as the Pacific Plate drifts northwest at approximately four inches per year over a stationary hotspot. What appears to be a crater is actually a massive erosional valley, carved by water and landslides over millennia and partially refilled by subsequent lava flows and distinctive cinder cones. Though currently dormant, Haleakala is not extinct, having erupted at least 10 times in the past 1,000 years, with its most recent eruption occurring a mere 400-600 years ago along its southwest rift zone.
Copyright
Jonathan Kingston
Image Size
3280x4928 / 12.7MB
http://www.kingstonimages.com
Contained in galleries
Science Revealed | Making Wonder Visible
Volcanic ridges of Haleakala's summit valley stand sentinel above an ethereal ocean of clouds as golden sunlight illuminates the landscape at dawn. This massive shield volcano, rising 10,023 feet above sea level but extending an impressive 28,000 feet from the ocean floor, represents a living laboratory where geologists study the complex formation of Hawaiian islands as the Pacific Plate drifts northwest at approximately four inches per year over a stationary hotspot. What appears to be a crater is actually a massive erosional valley, carved by water and landslides over millennia and partially refilled by subsequent lava flows and distinctive cinder cones. Though currently dormant, Haleakala is not extinct, having erupted at least 10 times in the past 1,000 years, with its most recent eruption occurring a mere 400-600 years ago along its southwest rift zone.