Exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Puhimau Crater

by Donald B. MacGowan

Frank Burgess filming in the edge of Puhimau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Graphic Photo by Donnie MacGowan

There are many wondrous, enigmatic and fascinating attractions on the Big Island of Hawaii, some better known than others, many out of the way and generally off the beaten track. Tour Guide Hawaii has produced an encyclopedic collection of the most up-to-date information, presented as short GPS-cued videos, in an app downloadable to iPhone and iPod Touch that covers the entire Big Island, highlighting the popular and the uncrowded, the famous and the secluded, the adventurous and the relaxing.

Puhimau Crater

Truncated lava flows in the wall of Puhimau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

600 feet wide and almost 500 feet deep, Puhimau Crater shows the typical morphology of a collapse structure that has not been invaded by post-collapse lavas. Notice how all the debris associated with this crater seems to point downward into the bottom of the crater; several talus cones run down the slope and there is no material stacked or scattered around the rim of the crater that is suggestive of eruptive or explosive events.

Gardens growing in the steam at Puhimau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

One can see exposed on the walls of the crater numerous pre-collapse lava flows that were truncated during the collapse. Obviously there is still molten rock close to the surface below this crater; one can generally see steam rising from numerous seeps. These steam seeps provide an oasis of moisture in the desert and lush steam gardens surround them.

The rubble-filled bottom of Puhimau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B MacGowan

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All media copyright 2010 by Donald B. MacGowan. All rights reserved.

Ferns growing at Puhimau Crater, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B MacGowan