When asked about Hawaiian volcanoes, most people imagine the Big Island and its eruptions at Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes. But East Maui volcano has witnessed at least ten eruptions in the past 1,000 years, and numerous eruptions have occurred there in the past 10,000 years. Thus the volcano's long eruptive history and recent activity indicate that East Maui volcano will erupt in the future.
The oldest lava flow exposed on East Maui is about 1.1 million years in age. It is part of a sequence of flows emplaced near the end of shield building on East Maui. The time estimated to build a volcano from ocean floor to the end of its shield-building stage is about 0.6 million years. East Maui volcano probably began its growth about 2.0 million years ago.
Volcanism of the past 30,000 years on East Maui has been focused along the southwest and east rift zones. These two volcanic axes together form one gently curving arc that passes from La Perouse Bay (southwest flank of East Maui) through Haleakala Crater to Hana on the east flank. The alignment continues east beneath the ocean as Haleakala Ridge, one of the most sizable rift zones along the Hawaiian Islands volcanic chain. The on-land segment of this lengthy volcanic line of vents is the zone of greatest hazard for future lava flows and cindery ash.
East Maui Facts
 |
Information
| Location: 20.718 N 156.254 W |
| Elev. Above Sea Level: 3,055 m 10,023 ft |
| Area: 1,470 km2 570 mi2 (77% of Island of Maui) |
| Volume: about 30,000 km3 7,200 mi3 (97% of volume is below sea level) |
| Number of Historical Eruptions: See recent eruption description above |
| Oldest Dated Rocks; About 1.1 million years |
| Estimated Age of On-land Eruptions: Numerous small lava flows in past 30,000 years; slopes of volcano mantled by lava flows 700,000 to 150,000 years in age |
| Estimated Age of Inception of East Maui Volcano: About 2.0 million years ago |
| Hawaiian Volcano Stage: Postshield stage |
¡@