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Mauna Kea Volcano

Updated: May 21, 2025 02:23 GMT -
Shield volcano
United States, Hawaiian Islands, 19.82°N / -155.47°W
Summit height: 4205 m / 13,796 ft
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
Last update: 21 Mar 2022 (M 4.5 earthquake today)

[smaller] [larger]
Typical eruption style: unspecified
Mauna Kea volcano eruptions: 2460 BC ±100 years

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and TimeMag / DepthDistance / Location
May 20, 12:30 am (GMT -10)
2.3

24 km
7.1 km (4.4 mi) to the N 22 km SW of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii Info
Thursday, May 15, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
May 14, 11:08 pm (GMT -10)
2.9

16 km
14 km (8.6 mi) to the W 15 mi south of Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United StatesI FELT IT - 3 reportsInfo
Sunday, May 11, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
May 11, 01:13 am (GMT -10)
1.9

20 km
16 km (10 mi) to the NW 15 km SE of Waimea, Hawaii Info

Background

Mauna Kea, Hawaii's highest volcano, reaches 4205 m, only 35 m above its neighbor, Mauna Loa. In contrast to Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea lacks a summit caldera and is capped by a profusion of cinder cones and pyroclastic deposits. Mauna Kea's rift zones are less pronounced than on neighboring volcanoes, and the eruption of voluminous, late-stage pyroclastic material has buried much of the early basaltic shield volcano, giving the volcano a steeper and more irregular profile. This transition took place about 250,000 to 200,000 years ago, and much of Mauna Kea, whose Hawaiian name means "White Mountain," was constructed during the Pleistocene. Its age and high altitude make it the only Hawaiian volcano with glacial moraines. A road that reaches a cluster of astronomical observatories on the summit also provides access to seasonal tropical skiing. The latest eruptions at Mauna Kea produced a series of cinder cones and lava flows from vents on the northern and southern flanks during the early to mid Holocene.
---
Smithsonian / GVP volcano information

Mauna Kea Volcano Photos

Significant volcanic eruptions: Mauna Kea volcano

No historic eruptions are known from Mauna Kea volcano, but evidence from at least 6 eruptions during the past 10,000 years can be found in the geological record.
The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Mauna Kea volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Mauna Kea can be found on the news page of Mauna Kea volcano.
DateNoteVEIDeathsDamage
2460 ±100 y. BCNE flank (Puu Lehu, 3130 m)?
2540 ±200 y. BCSouth rift zone (Puu Kole)?
2750 ±200 y. BCNE flank (Puu Kanakaleonui, 2930 m)?
3370 ±150 y. BCSE flank (near Hale Pohaku, 2740 m)?
3680 ±200 y. BCSouth rift zone (Puu Kalaieha)?
5150 ±150 y. BCNorth flank (Puu Kole)?
Remark:
Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Mauna Kea Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Mauna Kea volcano?

Latest satellite images

maunakea satellite image sat1maunakea satellite image sat2

Mauna Kea Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (world scale)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (world scale)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (world scale)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (world scale)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (region scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale large)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale small)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (local scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Terrain-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 5-10 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of 5-10 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of few kilometers)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Mauna Kea volcano (scale of few kilometers)
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Mon, 21 Mar 2022, 04:01

Mauna Kea volcano (Hawai'i): M 4.5 earthquake today

Location of the 4.5 quake at Mauna Kea volcano today (image: USGS)
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported a moderate (on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale) tectonic earthquake with magnitude M 4.5 at 23 km depth beneath the northwestern flank of the volcano at 07:30 local time this morning. ... Read all
Tue, 15 Dec 2020, 09:07

Mauna Kea volcano (Hawai'i): strong earthquake on NW flank; greater than M 4

The M 4.4 earthquake detected on the NW flank of Mauna Kea (image: HVO)
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported that the seismic network recorded a volcano-tectonic earthquake with magnitude M 4.4 at 25 km depth beneath the northwest flank of the volcano starting around 09:27 local time on 14 Dec morning. The earthquake was centered about 20 km southeast of Waimea. ... Read all

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