hawaii

Nā Pali, Lehua Tuff Cone, and the “Forbidden Island” of Ni‘ihau

by

During our March 2025 trip to Kaua‘i, Hawaii, one unforgettable day stood out: we spent seven hours soaking in the breathtaking vistas of the Nā Pali sea cliffs, the volcanic Lehua tuff cone, and the remote shores of Ni‘ihau—often called the “Forbidden Island”. Over the past several million years, magma from the Hawaiian mantle plume … Read more

Volcano (part 1): shield volcanoes

by

Shield volcanoes and stratovolcanoes are two major types of volcanoes. Other smaller-scale volcanic features also include cinder cones, volcanic domes, calderas etc. To put it simply, low-viscosity magma flows gently outward instead of erupts violently, resulting in shield volcanoes with gentle slopes. In contrast, stratovolcanoes form from viscous magma that often erupts violently and couldn’t … Read more