Mountain type Shield volcano Parent range Hawaiian Islands | Elevation 1,210 m | |
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Location Molokai, Hawaii,
United States Volcanic arc/belt Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain Similar Kamakou, West Maui Mountains, Lōʻihi Seamount, Kohala, Hualālai | ||
The East Molokai Volcano, sometimes also known as Wailau for the Wailau valley on its north side, is an extinct shield volcano comprising the eastern two-thirds of the island of Molokaʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Contents
Map of East Molokai Volcano, Hawaii 96748, USA
DescriptionEdit
The East Molokai has a width of 70 km (43 mi) and a length of 150 km (93 mi). It is overlapped by the West Molokai, Lanai and Haleakalā shield volcanoes. Its shield formation began two million years ago and ended 1.5 million years ago whereas its postshield eruptions occurred 1.5 to 1.3 million years ago. The pahoehoe shield volcano of the Kalaupapa Peninsula postdates the main shield volcano of East Molokai and is considered to represent the last volcanic phase of East Molokai.
East Molokai was one of the seven principal volcanoes along with West Molokai, Lānaʻi, West Maui, East Maui, Penguin Bank and Kahoʻolawe that formerly constituted the island of Maui Nui.
The highest point is the peak called Kamakou on the southern rim at 21°6′23″N 156°52′5″W. The Pēpēʻōpae bog is just below the rim.
The northern flank of the volcano has been truncated by enormous cliffs rising 900 metres (3,000 ft) from the sea. The sea cliffs were formed when the northern third of the East Molokai Volcano suddenly collapsed and slid off into the sea, about 1.4 million years ago. The landslide was so fast and powerful that it extended 190 kilometres (120 mi) into the sea, and generated a 600 metres (2,000 ft) high megatsunami that inundated the rest of Molokai.