Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park: Lava Tube Volcanology, Biology, Hawaiian Culture, and Management - Article 7

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) is located on the island of Hawai`i, part of the most isolated island chain in the world. HAVO is the home of two active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. The park stretches from sea level to 4169 m (13,677 ft) elevation and contains 1350 km2 (520 mi2). It has been an International Biosphere Reserve since 1980 and a World Heritage Site since 1987. The park includes at least nine ecological zones: near-shore marine, seacoast, lowland, mid-elevation woodland, rain forest, upland forest, subalpine, alpine, and aeolian. Both volcanoes have recent lava flows: on Mauna Loa the most recent was in 1984, and on Kīlauea a nearly continuous eruption has been active from 1983 to the present. Numerous lava caves occur throughout the park. These include lava-tube caves, crater-vent caves, fissure and rift-zone caves, pressure ridge caves, tree-mold caves, and sea caves. Many lava-tube caves are quite large and some are several kilometers long. They include important geological, mineralogical, paleontological, archaeological, cultural, religious, biological and recreational resources. Hawaiians regularly entered and used lava-tube caves before European contact and have a rich cultural tradition relating to them.