Shield volcanoes are volcanoes which form gently sloping mountains from a large number of very hot and very fluid lava flows.
The Hawaiian islands were born in the fury of fire, rain, thunderous waves and shattering earthquakes of these volcanoes. Each of the islands has one primary volcano.
The youngest and the biggest of the lot, Big Island Hawaii has five, and Oahu has two. These are shield volcanoes, which are gently sloping mountains produced from a large number of very hot and very fluid lava flows.
The hot rivers of lava that emerged from the ocean floor more than 70 million years ago cooled into stone, were chipped into shape by heavy tropical rain, reshaped by earthquakes and polished by the giant waves.
It has taken nature millions of years of sculpting to produce the Hawaiian chain of islands which is like no other.
The results are the iconic Diamond Head, the majestic Haleakala on Maui, and the Waianae and Koolau ranges on Oahu.
On the Big Island, there are five shield volcanoes - the young and furiously erupting Kilauea, the broodily dormant Mauna Loa and Hualalai, the massive Mauna Kea and the extinct Kohala which is the oldest of the group. These form the backdrops for lush valleys, precipitous canyons, jagged and soaring cliffs and dry deserts, all of which are home to exotic tropical flora and fauna.
You find microclimates here like in no other place on earth!
On the still growing Big Island, there are eleven different microclimates, from pristine rainforests, to black sand beaches, bone-dry deserts and snow-capped mountains. Therefore, you can be skiing on the summit of Mauna Kea in the morning and sunbathing on the beach in the afternoon, how's that for fun??
There are two shield volcanoes on Maui, which created an island on which you can drive from zero to 10,000 feet in 38 miles!
On the way, you will pass through tropical beaches, sugar plantations, grassy hills where the paniolo or Hawaiian cowboys ride, up to the Haleakala crater to watch the sunrise.
Oahu, the third largest island, home to Honolulu, has two parallel mountain ranges, the Waianae in the east and the Koolau in the west. These two shield volcanoes create, between them, three different types of environment. The trade winds dump the heavy rainfall in the east or leeward side, and here the landscape is dotted with waterfalls, lush greenery, giant ferns and colorful tropical plants.
Between these two lies the central Ewa Valley, which enjoys moderate temperatures and west of Wainae, it is dryer, warmer and the vegetation sparser.
Kauai’s highest point is Mt. Waialeale, also the wettest spot on earth, collecting 420 inches of rain a year. Just west are the reddish, barren landscapes of 3,500 ft. high Waimea Canyon where you might see the Waimea River continuing its work of cutting into the rock. Rimming the island are white sandy beaches and the spectacular cliffs of the Na Pali Coast.
Although Kauai is commonly considered the oldest of the islands, there are actually little known small and older islands that lie to its north from Nihoa to Kure.
It is the unique nature of each shield volcano that has given rise to the biodiversity and the spectacular scenery of Hawaii. The chain is still expanding. For example, Loihi has been erupting underwater off southern Big Island since 1996. Come back in 250,000 years and you will see Loihi break the surface to be the ninth Hawaiian island!
