Hawaii has 6 volcanoes in our database — every one a shield volcano built by a single hotspot beneath the Pacific Plate. Kilauea is the most active volcano on Earth, with 48 fountaining episodes since 2024. Mauna Loa is the largest. And 975 meters below the ocean surface, Loihi is building the next Hawaiian island.
Volcanoes in DB
6
Currently Active
1
Most Recent Eruption
June 2026
Hotspot Age
~80M yrs
The Hotspot Chain: How Hawaii Built Itself
Every volcano in Hawaii was born from the same source: a mantle plume roughly 80 million years old, punching through the Pacific Plate like a blowtorch through sheet metal. As the plate creeps northwest at 7–9 cm per year, new volcanoes form over the hotspot, grow into islands, then drift away to erode and eventually sink back beneath the waves. The result is a 6,000-km conveyor belt of volcanic islands and seamounts stretching from the Big Island to the Emperor Seamounts near Kamchatka.
Right now, the Big Island sits directly over the hotspot. That's why Kilauea and Mauna Loa are so active — they're getting a direct magma feed from below. Maui's Haleakala is drifting off the hotspot but still erupted as recently as ~1600 CE. Oahu's Diamond Head and Koko Head haven't erupted in 400,000+ years. Kauai, the oldest major island at 5.1 million years, has been carved into the dramatic Napali Coast cliffs by erosion.
The clincher: 30 miles southeast of the Big Island, a new volcano called Loihi is already rising from the ocean floor. Its summit sits 975 meters below sea level. Give it another 10,000–100,000 years and it'll break the surface. Hawaii isn't done building itself.
By VolcanoDB Research Team. Data: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.
All Volcanoes in Hawaii
Six Hawaiian volcanoes in our database. Five sit on the Big Island (Hawai'i), one on Maui, and one is technically the seafloor. All are shield volcanoes — the broad, gently-sloped type built by fluid basaltic lava. No explosive stratovolcanoes here. That's a hotspot signature.
The Big Island of Hawai'i is really five volcanoes fused together, with a sixth forming offshore. Three have erupted in the last 250 years. Two have erupted in the last 4 years. One is erupting right now.
The most active volcano on the planet, and it's not close. Kilauea has been in some state of eruption almost continuously since 1983. The current phase — episodic fountaining at the Halema'uma'u summit crater — began in late 2024 and has produced 48 fountain episodes as of June 2026. That's more than the famous Pu'u 'Ō'ō eruption managed in 35 years. Each episode typically lasts 5–20 hours of continuous lava fountaining, then pauses for 1–3 weeks while the summit reinflates with magma.
But Kilauea's most destructive chapter was the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. Fissures opened in the Leilani Estates subdivision, destroying 716 homes and displacing thousands. Lava covered 35.5 km² and added 875 acres of new land to the island. It was the most destructive volcanic event in the US since Mount St. Helens. Read our full Kilauea eruption guide for the complete eruption timeline.
The sheer scale of Mauna Loa is hard to grasp. It makes up roughly half the Big Island's land mass. From its base on the ocean floor to its summit, it rises over 9,000 meters — taller than Everest. Its volume is estimated at 75,000 km³. It's the largest active volcano on Earth, period.
Mauna Loa last erupted in November–December 2022 after a 38-year quiet stretch, sending lava flows from the Northeast Rift Zone within 1.7 miles of Saddle Road (Highway 200) — the only road connecting Hilo and Kona. If that flow had reached the road, it would have cut the island in half. It produced 33 eruptions since 1843, averaging one every 5.5 years, though the intervals have been getting longer. As of mid-2026, seismic activity beneath the summit has been slightly elevated — 132 earthquakes in the April reporting period — but USGS maintains NORMAL alert level.
Hualalai is the sleeper threat. It sits directly above the Kona coast — the Big Island's tourism and population center. Its 1801 eruption produced two large lava flows, one of which ran through what is now the Kona International Airport and the Mauna Lani resort area. The flow reached the ocean.
Hualalai doesn't erupt often — maybe every 200–300 years — but when it does, the lava flows are fast-moving and head straight for the most densely developed coastline on the Big Island. Geologic mapping shows multiple prehistoric flows crossed the areas where 40,000+ people now live. The USGS considers Hualalai a "potentially hazardous" volcano, and seismicity picked up noticeably in 1929 with a magnitude 6.5 earthquake swarm that damaged buildings in Kona. Since then, it's been quiet.
Mauna Kea is Hawaii's tallest volcano and the world's tallest mountain measured from base to peak (over 10,000 m from the ocean floor). Its last eruption was roughly 4,600 years ago — recent enough that volcanologists classify it as dormant, not extinct. It's moved past its shield-building phase into a post-shield stage, producing more evolved (stickier) lavas.
Today Mauna Kea is better known for astronomy than volcanology. The summit's high altitude, stable atmosphere, low humidity, and distance from city lights make it one of the best astronomical observing sites on Earth. Thirteen telescopes from eleven countries operate there, including the Keck Observatory's twin 10-meter mirrors. The cultural significance of the summit to Native Hawaiians has created ongoing tension with telescope development — the Thirty Meter Telescope debate remains unresolved as of 2026.
Haleakala means "House of the Sun" in Hawaiian, and watching sunrise from the 10,023-foot summit above the clouds makes the name feel earned. But don't let the tourism marketing fool you — this is an active volcano. It last erupted around 1600 CE, producing the lava flow visible at La Perouse Bay on Maui's south coast. That's only 426 years ago.
Haleakala's massive erosional "crater" (technically a coalescence of two erosional valleys) is 7 miles across and 2,600 feet deep, dotted with colorful cinder cones. The Sliding Sands Trail into the crater is one of the most surreal hikes in the Pacific — you feel like you're walking on Mars. The Haleakala silversword, an endangered plant found nowhere else on Earth, grows only in this crater.
The most fascinating volcano you'll never visit. Loihi sits 30 miles southeast of the Big Island with its summit 975 meters below sea level. It's in the pre-shield stage — the same stage Kilauea was in millions of years ago — and represents the next link in the Hawaiian chain.
Loihi was confirmed as an active submarine volcano in 1996 when a massive earthquake swarm (over 4,000 events in two months) caused the summit to collapse, creating a pit crater named Pele's Pit. Research submersibles have documented active hydrothermal vents, volcanic glass deposits, and unique extremophile ecosystems living in the superheated water. It won't break the ocean surface for 10,000–100,000 years, but it's growing steadily.
Famous Hawaiian Eruptions
Hawaiian eruptions are fundamentally different from the explosive blasts you see at stratovolcanoes like St. Helens or Vesuvius. Low-silica basaltic magma means lava flows rather than pyroclastic surges. But "not explosive" doesn't mean "not destructive."
Eruption
Volcano
Key Facts
2018 LERZ
Kilauea
716 homes destroyed, 875 acres of new land. Most destructive US eruption since 1980.
1983–2018 Puʻu ʻŌʻō
Kilauea
35-year continuous eruption. 47 fountaining episodes. Longest rift eruption in Kilauea's history.
2022 NE Rift
Mauna Loa
First eruption in 38 years. Lava came within 1.7 miles of Saddle Road.
1959 Kilauea Iki
Kilauea
Highest lava fountain ever recorded in Hawaii: 580m (1,900 ft).
1950 SW Rift
Mauna Loa
Fastest lava flow in Hawaiian history — reached the ocean in 3 hours over 24 km.
1801 Hualalai
Hualalai
Two flows reached the coast. One crossed the site of modern Kona Airport.
1790 Keanakākoʻi
Kilauea
Explosive eruption killed 80+ Hawaiian warriors. Deadliest in Hawaiian history.
Visiting Hawaii's Volcanoes — Tour Guide
Hawaii is the most accessible volcanic destination in the world. No other place lets you stand on the rim of an actively erupting volcano, drive through decades of lava flows, and hike into a lava tube — all before lunch. For broader planning, see our volcano hiking guide.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
This is where you go. Two active volcanoes — Kilauea and Mauna Loa — in one park. The Crater Rim Drive loops around Kilauea's summit caldera, passing the Halemaʻumaʻu crater where all the recent eruptions happen. Steam Vents and Sulphur Banks give you a visceral sense of the heat below your feet. The Chain of Craters Road descends 3,700 feet through decades of frozen lava flows to the coast. Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) is a 500-year-old tunnel you walk through — flashlight recommended. Note: the Kilauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation through summer 2026; a temporary Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp is open daily 9 AM–4:45 PM.
$30/vehicle (7-day pass). $55 Tri-Park annual pass (includes Haleakala & Puʻuhonua o Honaunau).Best: Year-round. Eruptions are episodic — check USGS before visiting for lava viewing.View in database →
Haleakala National Park
Maui's massive shield volcano. Most people come for the sunrise at the 10,023-foot summit — it's genuinely one of the best sunrises on the planet, above the clouds. But the crater itself is extraordinary: 7 miles across, 2,600 feet deep, filled with cinder cones in red, orange, and gray. The Sliding Sands Trail descends into the crater floor. Less known: the Kipahulu District on the east side has the Pools of Oheo ('Seven Sacred Pools') and the Pipiwai Trail through a bamboo forest to 400-foot Waimoku Falls. Sunrise reservations required ($1/vehicle, book 60 days ahead).
$30/vehicle (7-day pass). Sunrise reservation required: $1/vehicle.Best: Sunrise year-round. Hiking best in dry season (April–October).View in database →
Mauna Kea Summit
The tallest point in Hawaii at 13,796 feet — and measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on Earth at over 33,000 feet. The summit hosts 13 of the world's most powerful telescopes. The Visitor Information Station at 9,200 feet offers free stargazing programs nightly. Driving to the summit requires 4WD on a steep unpaved road. Altitude sickness is a real concern — spend at least 30 minutes at the VIS before ascending. No children under 13 or pregnant visitors at the summit.
Free. 4WD vehicle required for summit access.Best: Year-round for stargazing. Avoid winter storms (Dec–Feb).View in database →
What Makes Hawaiian Volcanism Unique
Most of the world's volcanoes sit on subduction zones — the Ring of Fire accounts for roughly 75% of the planet's active volcanoes. Subduction volcanism produces the explosive, gas-rich eruptions that destroy cities: Vesuvius, Pinatubo, Krakatoa. Hawaii is nothing like that.
Hotspot volcanism produces basaltic magma — low in silica, low in dissolved gas, and therefore low in explosivity. Hawaiian eruptions are typically effusive: lava flows out rather than blowing up. That's why you can safely stand on the rim of Kilauea's caldera during an eruption. You wouldn't try that at Sakurajima.
The exception is the 1790 Keanakakō'i eruption at Kilauea, which was genuinely explosive — a phreatic blast when groundwater met magma. It killed at least 80 Hawaiian warriors marching past the summit. Hawaiian volcanoes are gentler than their Ring of Fire cousins, but they're not gentle.
Compare Hawaii with other volcanic regions we cover: Washington (subduction, explosive, lahar risk), Japan (subduction, 142 volcanoes), Iceland (divergent plate + hotspot, fissure eruptions), or Italy (complex subduction, Campi Flegrei supervolcano risk). Each region has its own character. Hawaii's is fire and flow.
Explore All 6 Hawaiian Volcanoes
Every Hawaiian volcano in our database with eruption history, real-time USGS alerts, and seismic data
Hawaii has 6 volcanoes in our database: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, and Loihi on the Big Island, plus Haleakala on Maui. All six are shield volcanoes — a type unique to hotspot volcanism. Older Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Kauai, Molokai) also have extinct volcanic remnants like Diamond Head, but these haven't erupted in over a million years and aren't considered active volcanic systems.
Is Kilauea erupting right now in 2026?
Kilauea's current eruption is episodic — short, intense fountaining bursts at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater separated by pauses of 1-3 weeks while the summit reinflates with magma. Episode 48 erupted on June 1, 2026, with 9 hours of continuous lava fountaining, making this the most episodic fountaining eruption ever recorded (surpassing Puʻu ʻŌʻō's 47 episodes). As of June 2026, Kilauea is at ADVISORY alert level. Check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for real-time updates.
Can you see lava in Hawaii?
It depends on eruption timing. Kilauea's episodic eruptions produce spectacular lava fountains visible from the Halemaʻumaʻu crater rim overlooks inside Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. But each episode lasts only hours, and pauses between episodes last 1-3 weeks. Tour operators run twilight and evening trips timed around eruption forecasts. Even between eruptions, you can see steam vents, sulphur banks, the Thurston Lava Tube, and decades of solidified lava flows along Chain of Craters Road. The park is remarkable even without active lava.
What is the most dangerous volcano in Hawaii?
Kilauea causes the most frequent property damage — the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption destroyed 716 homes in Leilani Estates and added 875 acres of new land to the island. But Mauna Loa poses the greatest overall threat. It's the world's largest active volcano, and its eruptions produce fast-moving lava flows that can reach populated coastal areas within hours. The 2022 eruption sent flows within 1.7 miles of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road), nearly cutting the island in half. Hualalai is arguably the most underrated risk — its 1801 flow crossed through what is now the Kona International Airport.
How do Hawaiian volcanoes form?
Hawaiian volcanoes form from a hotspot — a stationary plume of unusually hot mantle material rising from deep within the Earth. The Pacific Plate moves northwest over this hotspot at about 7-9 cm per year, creating a chain of progressively older islands. The Big Island sits directly over the hotspot now, which is why Kilauea and Mauna Loa are so active. Kauai, the oldest major island at ~5.1 million years, has eroded significantly. Southeast of the Big Island, the Loihi seamount is the next island forming — its summit is already 975 meters below sea level and growing.