Why study the Puna Ridge?
Scientists have learned a lot about the on-land part of Kilauea’s east rift zone, but little is known about its underwater part, the Puna Ridge. A research cruise late in September and October was the first to explore the ridge in detail. What did we learn? At a scale of 1-2 km, the Puna Ridge looks very different than the on-land rift zone. Large volcanic terraces, up to hundreds of meters (yards) high and several kilometers (miles) across, cover its axis and flanks. By comparison, the on-land rift zone is typically covered by low lava flows and low cones. At a scale of tens to hundreds of meters (yards), however, we sometimes felt that we were walking along the east rift zone on land. We found fissure systems with volcanic vents along them that resemble Mauna Ulu and Pu`u `O`o, with strings of spatter cones built over the fissures. We mapped large collapsed craters similar to those along the Chain of Craters. We photographed lobate flows similar to pahoehoe flows on land. We also pho
