Two of the five volcanoes are still active, so the process of building the island is still ongoing.
One of the volcanoes, Mauna Loa, has eruptions every few years. In 1950, his eruption lasted for 23 days. Throughout this period the hot-lava flashed down the slopes of the volcano into the sea. Sea water was boiling, so many fish had died.
Another volcano - Manua Kea - is extinguished. It is also the highest mountain in the Pacific. It rises over 4,135 meters above sea level, but its base reaches 5,400 meters below the surface rail to the ocean floor. If we would measure the underwater base, than this volcano would be the highest mountain in the world.
On the island of Maui is the Haleakala volcano, about 3,075 meters high. It is the largest dead volcano in the world. Its crater is about 32 kilometers in extent and its depth is 716 meters.
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