Kīlauea

Can you feel my warmth? Even though I am surrounded by the cool, blue ocean, a special fire burns deep inside me. I glow with a soft, orange light, and you can hear the gentle bubbling and hissing of my power. I live on a beautiful green island called Hawaiʻi, where colorful flowers grow and bright birds sing. My slopes are covered in lush forests and dark, hardened rock from my past adventures. I am Kīlauea, a volcano! I’m not just any mountain; I am a mountain that is always growing and changing. I share my fiery heart with the world, painting the land with rivers of molten rock that cool into shiny, new ground. People travel from all over the world just to see me glow against the starry night sky, and I am always happy to welcome them to my amazing island home.

My story began a very, very long time ago. I first rose up from under the deep blue sea about 100,000 years ago! It took a long time for me to grow big enough to peek out above the waves and say hello to the sun. The Hawaiian people have known me for my whole life. They tell beautiful stories about the powerful goddess of fire, Pele, who they say makes her home right inside my fiery center. They believe she is the one who sends lava flowing across the land, and they treat me with great respect. I am not a tall, pointy mountain like you might see in pictures. I am wide and gently sloped, like a warrior’s shield lying on the ground. That’s why I’m called a 'shield' volcano. I am strong and steady. People from far away became very curious about me and my fiery glow. On January 17th, 1912, a group of scientists built a special building right on my edge. They called it the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. From there, they could watch me bubble and flow safely, trying to understand my secrets. And I have given them a lot to see! Since January 3rd, 1983, I have been erupting almost all the time. For many years, my lava flowed like a slow, warm river, reaching the ocean and making the island of Hawaiʻi bigger and bigger every day. I love creating new land for plants to grow and for people to explore.

Sometimes, I have big bursts of energy. On May 3rd, 2018, I had a very big eruption. I felt a great rumble deep inside me and shared a lot of glowing rock with the world. My lava flows traveled for miles and created a huge new piece of land in the ocean. Some people might think my eruptions are scary, but I see myself as a creator, not a destroyer. I am a reminder that our Earth is alive and powerful. I build new land where beautiful green plants will one day grow and people can walk. I show everyone the amazing power of nature, glowing under the warm sun and the twinkling stars. I will be here for a long, long time, always changing and always beautiful, a living mountain of wonder for everyone to see.