Encyclopedia

Kilauea

Kilauea (kē'läwā'u) [key], crater, 3,646 ft (1,111 m) deep, central Hawaii island, Hawaii, on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. One of the largest active craters in the world, Kilauea has a circumference of c.8 mi (13 km) and is surrounded by a wall of volcanic rock 200 to 500 ft (61–152 m) high. In its floor is Halemaumau, a fiery pit. The usual level of the lake of molten lava is c.740 ft (230 m) below the pit's rim.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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