Chain of Craters drive descends about 20 miles from the top of Kilauea, Hawaii's most active volcano, down to the windward shore of the Pacific, following the path of eruptions along the upper east rift zone. In fact, about 7 miles of it have been covered by lava over the years. Near the top are several pit craters in Kilauea 's upper east rift zone. Most of the craters created by the eruptions are well marked -- but not Devil's Throat.
The reason Devil's Throat is incognito is undoubtedly its danger. The descent is a sheer drop off and footing is hazardous and may crumble out from under you. It's no accident that the National Park Service tries to keep it hidden from risk-seeking tourists. If you do find your way, signs warn about suddenly collapsing cliffs. In fact, the crater top keeps widening as the upper walls collapse. The crater itself is in the shape of an inverted funnel -- so there is little to keep the upper walls from collapsing. When first explored in 1923, the base of the crater was six times larger than the top. (see http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/gallery/kilauea/erz/devilsthroat.html#images for a good description of this event).
The USGS labels Devil's Throat as the best collapse crater in the world and a must-see for geology students who need to be convinced that collapse craters are formed by falling rock rather than magma explosions. For a good view from the air, try this site: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/gallery/kilauea/erz/upper/30424305-044_large.jpg
Here's the floor at Devil's Throat. Much of the haze here is "vog" or volcanic fog created when sulfur dioxide mixes with oxygen, sunlight, and dust. Volcano Kilauea emits about 2000 tons of sulfur dioxide daily. For an excellent explanation of this crater, check the USGS site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/2006/06_10_12.html .
Down the road is the well-labeled Hiiaka Crater which suffered fissure eruptions in Fissure eruptions in 1968 and 1973 which lasted only about a day.
Note the broken (a'a) lava at Hiiaka Crater.
About three miles down Chain of Craters road from the park entrance lies Pauahi Crater which consists of 3 overlapping pit craters. These pit craters about 350-500 years old. While mostly quiet until recent times, the crater erupted in 1973 and 1979.
The 1973 eruption at Pauahi Crater created a lava lake within its first ten hours. The 1979 eruption lasted but a day.
As we approached the sea, we found the entrance to the Keahou Trail -- a challenging backpack trail that leads to the coast.
The pahoehoe lava here creates many strange shapes that entertain (or terrify) backpackers on their descent to the coast.
Water is a challenge on this trail as the heat and hot winds necessitate 3-4 quarts per day per hiker. Several campsites provide catchment tanks which only work, of course, if it has rained lately. If that doesn't make things interesting, you are also told to avoid any unexploded WWII ordinance you may encounter along the way.
What you see is what you get -- there are no trees or other shelter from the sun except for a few camps with 3-sided shelters. Another interesting wrinkle, if you feel an earthquake, you are supposed to leave for high ground immediately as a tsunami may arrive to solve your water problem. (Please do not tell a prominent Rossyln physician about this trail!)
As we approached the coast, the slope lessened. The rocks here are quite fresh in geologic terms -- about 500 years old.
Here's a view of the road as it climbs back up to Kilauea's summit, cutting through lava floes.
Finally we arrived at the shore and began to see the steam vents where the hot magma flows through lava tubes and hits the hissing ocean.
