With two barren peaks that rise only about 170 feet above sea level, the now extinct Pūhāhonu volcano in the Northwestern Hawaii Islands doesn’t look like much. This is especially true since in the same archipelago, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa tower over every other volcano at over 13,000 feet above sea level.
Scientists at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa have proved that looks can be deceiving.
A new study published in the Earth and Planetary Science Letters journal establishes that Pūhāhonu is the largest shield volcano in the world, taking Mauna Loa’s title.
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