THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS were born of volcanoes. From the dormant Diamond Head and Punch bowl on the island of O’ahu and Haleakala on Maui to the active crater of Kilauea, volcanoes are Hawai‘i’s icons. At times beautiful, at times frightening, nothing else matches their majestic sight. Their sheer size, mystery and power remind us of why the ancient Hawaiians so revered Pele.
Volcano: Images of Hawaii’s Volcanoes is spectacular and sometimes eerie: Pressurized jets of molten earth propelling into the air by Kilauea. Rivers of lava glowing bright orange, illuminating an otherwise pitch-black night.Cooled pahoehoe lava hardening into thick rock of a layered rope-like texture. The fires burning at the edge of a hardened lava lake.
The steaming crater of Pu‘u ‘O‘o Vent, eroded from numerous eruptions. Snowcapped cinder cones of Mauna Loa. The first new plant life growing in the cracks of the volcanic landscape. Streams of steam expelling from the rapid cooling of lava as it touches the ocean to form new coastline.
All these sights and sites are captured by the superlative lens of renowned island photographer Douglas Peebles. From dangerous to amazing, Hawai’i’s volcanoes hold an allure that no other geological formation does. Volcano: Images of Hawaii’s Volcanoes captures all the power and majesty that will continue to inspire fear and awe for centuries.