Haleakalā, East Maui Volcano
Looking into Haleakalā
Elevation:	10,023 ft (3,055 m)
Location:	Maui, Hawaii, USA
Range:	Hawaiian Islands
Coordinates:	20°42′47.9″N, 156°15′27.3″W
Type:	Shield volcano
Age of rock:	<1.0 Ma
Last eruption:	1790
First ascent:
Easiest route:	paved highway

Haleakalā or East Maui Volcano is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Crater of Haleakala volcano in Maui. ... A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 square miles (1883 km²). Native Hawaiian tradition gives the origin of the islands name in the legend of Hawaiiloa, the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... The most general definition of a mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ... Mountains can be characterized in several ways. ... The geologic time scale is used by geologists and other scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... Eruption redirects here. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... In climbing, a first ascent (FA) is the first climb to reach the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route. ... Southern and northern Mount Everest climbing routes as seen from the International Space Station. ... Mitchell Freeway in Perth, Western Australia For other uses, see Highway (disambiguation). ... Eruption redirects here. ... Map of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of islands that stretches 2,400 km in a northwesterly direction from the southern tip of the Island of Hawai‘i. ... Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 square miles (1883 km²). Native Hawaiian tradition gives the origin of the islands name in the legend of Hawaiiloa, the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. ...

History

Early Hawaiians applied the name Haleakalā ("house of the sun") to the summit area only, most likely due to the fact that from the west side of the island, the sun could be seen rising up over the eastern side of the mountain. In Hawaiian folklore, the depression at the summit of Haleakalā was home to the grandmother of the Polynesian demigod Maui. According to the legend, Maui's grandmother helped him capture the Sun and force it to slow its journey across the sky in order to lengthen the day. In modern times, Haleakalā has become synonymous with the entire East Maui volcano. Hawaiian mythology is a variant of a more general Polynesian mythology. ... In Polynesian mythology, and especially in New Zealand and HawaiÊ»i, Maui is an extremely powerful god, for whom the island of Maui was named. ...

From the summit one looks down into a massive depression some 11.25 km (7 mi) across, 3.2 km (2 mi) wide, and nearly 800 m (2,600 ft) deep. The surrounding walls are steep and the interior mostly barren-looking with a scattering of volcanic cones. It has been called the largest extinct volcanic crater in the world, but this is not at all accurate. See for example Long Valley Caldera in California. Macdonald, Abbott, & Peterson (1983, p. 391) state it this way: Puu Oo, a cinder-and-spatter cone on Kilauea, Hawaii Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcano formations. ... Long Valley Caldera is a depression in eastern California that is adjacent to Mammoth Mountain. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ...

Haleakala is far smaller than many volcanic craters (calderas); there is an excellent chance that it is not extinct, but only dormant; and strictly speaking it is not of volcanic origin, beyond the fact that it exists in a volcanic mountain.

Until recently, East Maui Volcano was thought to have last erupted around 1790. Recent studies have shown that this must have been cartographer errors from maps made of the same area from the first voyages of La Perouse and Vancouver to the area. Recent advanced dating tests have shown that the last eruption was more likely to have been in the 1600's. These last flows from the southwest rift zone of Haleakala make up the large lava deposits of the Ahihi Kina`u/La Perouse Bay area of South Maui. In addition, contrary to popular belief, Haleakalā "crater" is not a volcanic in origin, nor can it accurately be called a caldera (which is formed through when the summit of a volcano collapses to form a depression). Rather, scientists believe that Haleakalā's "crater" was formed when the headwalls of two large erosional valleys merged at the summit of the volcano. These valleys formed the two large gaps — Ko‘olau on the north side and Kaupō on the south — to either side of the depression. Crater Lake, Oregon A caldera is a volcanic feature formed by the collapse of a volcano into itself. ...

National Park

Sunrise at Haleakala

Surrounding and including the "crater" is Haleakala National Park, a 28,655 acre (115.963 km²) park of which 19,270 acres (77.983 km²) are wilderness. The park includes the summit depression, Kipahulu Valley on the southeast, and ‘Ohe‘o Gulch (and pools), extending to the shoreline in the Kipahulu area. From the summit, there are two main trails leading into Haleakalā: Sliding Sands Trail and Halemau‘u Trail. The temperature near the top tends to vary between about 40°F (5°C) and 60°F (16°C) and, especially given the thin air and the possibility of dehydration at that elevation, the walking trails can be more challenging than one might expect. Despite this, Haleakala is popular with tourists and locals alike, who often venture to its summit to view the sunrise. Image File history File links Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii at sunrise, January, 1994. ... Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, United States Wilderness is land that has not been significantly modified by direct or indirect human activity. ...

Research

Because of the remarkable clarity, dryness, and stillness of the air, and its location above one-third of the atmosphere, the summit of Haleakala (like Mauna Kea) is one of the most sought-after locations in the world for ground-based telescopes. As a result of the geographic importance of this observational platform, experts come from all over the world to take part in research at "Science City", an astrophysical complex operated by the U.S. Department of Defense, the University of Hawaii, The Smithsonian Institution, the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Agency, and others. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanic peaks that together form the Island of Hawaii. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... Jean Charlots mural called Commencement is featured at Bachman Hall, the administrative center of the University of Hawai`i System. ... The Smithsonian Institution can refer to two things: The Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, DC The Smithsonian Institution is a novel by Gore Vidal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... An air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of aviation in the U.S. History The Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926, is the cornerstone of the Federal Governments regulation of civil aviation. ...

Some of the telescopes operated by the US Department of Defense are involved in researching man-made (e.g. spacecraft, monitoring satellites, rockets, and laser technology) rather than celestial objects. The program is in collaboration with defense contractors in the new Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei The astronomers on Haleakala are concerned about increasing light pollution as Maui's population grows. Kihei is a census-designated place located in Maui County, Hawaii. ... This composite satellite photograph of the earth at night demonstrates how much of the worlds light escapes through the atmosphere into space (Photo credit: NASA) The reverse of the above: Looking up from the Earth in a city shows excessive Sky glow and many unshielded lights. ...

Transportation

A well traveled, modern and quite curvy road leads all the way to the top of this spectacular mountain. There is a $10.00 entrance fee to the summit and Kipahulu areas.

Sources

Northwest (inner) face of Haleakalā and Ko‘olau Gap (right)

• Macdonald, Gordon A., Agatin T. Abbott, and Frank L. Peterson. 1983. Volcanoes in the Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 517 pp.

File links The following pages link to this file: Haleakala Categories: Maui Nui volcanoes ... File links The following pages link to this file: Haleakala Categories: Maui Nui volcanoes ...

See also

• Evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes

Most of the Hawaiian volcanoes (that is, the volcanoes that make up the Hawaiian Islands) go through several defined stages of evolution during their lifespans. ...

External links

• Haleakala Crater Webcam
• Haleakala National Park
• Geology of Haleakalā
• Photos of Haleakala National Park - Terra Galleria
• Kipahulu Ohana - nonprofit organization that conducts cultural interpretation and restoration in the Kipahulu district of Haleakala National Park through a Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from MapQuest or Google Local
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Local

National Parks of the United States
	Acadia | American Samoa | Arches | Badlands | Big Bend | Biscayne | Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Bryce Canyon | Canyonlands | Capitol Reef | Carlsbad Caverns | Channel Islands | Congaree | Crater Lake | Cuyahoga Valley | Death Valley | Denali | Dry Tortugas | Everglades | Gates of the Arctic | Glacier | Glacier Bay | Grand Canyon | Grand Teton | Great Basin | Great Sand Dunes | Great Smoky Mountains | Guadalupe Mountains | Haleakala | Hawaii Volcanoes | Hot Springs | Isle Royale | Joshua Tree | Katmai | Kenai Fjords | Kings Canyon | Kobuk Valley | Lake Clark | Lassen Volcanic | Mammoth Cave | Mesa Verde | Mount Rainier | North Cascades | Olympic | Petrified Forest | Redwood | Rocky Mountain | Saguaro | Sequoia | Shenandoah | Theodore Roosevelt | Virgin Islands | Voyageurs | Wind Cave | Wrangell-St. Elias | Yellowstone | Yosemite | Zion The parks of the United States National Park system are one type of protected area in the United States and are operated by the National Park Service. ... File links The following pages link to this file: Image:Delicatearch. ... Acadia National Park preserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast of Maine. ... Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations. ... Badlands National Park, in southwest South Dakota, preserves 242,756 acres (982 km²) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. ... Big Bend National Park is a national park located in Texas, USA. For more than 1,000 miles (1600 km) the Rio Grande / Río Bravo forms the international boundary between Mexico and the United States; Big Bend National Park administers approximately one-quarter of that boundary. ... Biscayne National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southern Florida, due east of Homestead, FL. The park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. ... Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado. ... Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. ... Canyonlands National Park, located near Moab, Utah and the Arches National Park, was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. ... Capitol Reef National Park is a United States National Park, in south-central Utah. ... Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a United States National Park located in the Guadalupe Mountains the southeastern corner of New Mexico, Eddy County. ... The Channel Islands National Park is a national park that consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of the U.S. state of California, in the Pacific Ocean. ... Located in South Carolina, the 34 mi² (89 km²) Congaree National Park is the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States but one of the smallest national parks. ... Crater Lake National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Oregon whose most famous feature is Crater Lake. ... Cuyahoga River in the park Categories: Stub | National parks of the United States | Ohio landmarks ... Death Valley National Park is a mostly arid national park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Inyo County, California, USA with a small extension and exclave (Devils Hole) in Nevada. ... Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America. ... Dry Tortugas National Park is a United States National Park, located in the Dry Tortugas islands of the Florida Keys. ... Everglades National Park preserves the southern portion of the Everglades (all south of Tamiami Trail), but represents only 20 % of the original wetland area. ... Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. ... Glacier National Park is a National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. ... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ... Grand Canyon National Park is one of Americas oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in western Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. ... Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park, located in east-central Nevada near its border with Utah. ... Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve became a United States National Park by an act of Congress on September 13, 2004. ... The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains. ... Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m) in elevation. ... Haleakalā National Park is a United States national park located on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii. ... Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, displays the results of 70 million years of volcanism, migration, and evolution—processes that thrust a bare land from the sea and clothed it with complex and unique ecosystems and a distinct human culture. ... Established from Hot Springs Reservation, Hot Springs National Park is a United States National Park in central Arkansas adjacent to the town of Hot Springs. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Isle Royale. ... A Joshua tree silhouetted by a rock Joshua Tree National Park is located in south-eastern California. ... Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kenai Fjords National Park is a United States National Park on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska near the town of Seward. ... This Article is about Kings Canyon National Park, USA. For Kings Canyon, Australia, see Kings Canyon, Northern Territory. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Kobuk Valley National Park is a United States National Park in northwestern Alaska north of the Arctic Circle. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southwestern Alaska. ... Map of Lassen area showing hydrothermal features (red dots) and volcanic feature or remnant (yellow cones). ... Mammoth Cave National Park is a U.S. National Park in south-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the most-extensive cave system known in the world. ... Mesa Verde National Park is a national park, located in southwest Colorado. ... Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County, Washington. ... Looking toward Magic Mountain from the Cascade Pass trail North Cascades National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Washington state. ... Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the far northwestern part of the state known as the Olympic Peninsula. ... Petrified Forest National Park is located in northeastern Arizona, along Interstate 40 between Holbrook and Navajo. ... Established in 1968 from unprotected land as well as small portions of existing state parks, Redwood National Park is a United States National Park on the northern coast of California between Eureka and Crescent City. ... Rocky Mountain National Park is located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. ... Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States system of national parks. ... Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. ... Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Piedmont region of Virginia. ... Established in 1978, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. ... Established in 1975, Voyageurs National Park is a United States National Park in northern Minnesota near the town of International Falls. ... Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 11 miles (18 km) north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. ... Established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Wrangell-St. ... Yellowstone National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. ... Yosemite National Park (pronounced Yo-SEM-it-tee, IPA ) is a national park largely in Mariposa County, and Tuolumne County, California, United States. ... Zion National Park is located near Springdale, Utah in the southwestern United States. ...