Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea (mou`nə kā`ə), dormant volcano, 13,796 ft (4,205 m) high, in the south central part of the island of Hawaii. It is the loftiest peak in the Hawaiian Islands and the highest island mountain in the world, rising c.32,000 ft (9,750 m) from the Pacific Ocean floor. It has many cinder cones on its flanks and a great crater at the summit. Its fertile lower slopes are used for agriculture, especially the growing of coffee beans; the upper slopes are snow-covered in winter. At the peak of Mauna Kea, where the dry air is ideal for optical and infrared astronomical observations, is the site of the Mauna Kea Observatories. The mountain is surrounded by the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve; the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve is on the southern slopes.

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Mauna Kea

Dormant volcano, north-central Hawaii island, Hawaii, U.S. Rising to 13,796 ft (4,205 m), it is the highest point in the state and is the chief feature of a state park occupying 500 acres (202 hectares). Its name means “white mountain,” referring to its snowcapped peak. Its dome is 30 mi (48 km) across and is the site of a major astronomical observatory. The volcano's lava flows have buried the southern slopes of the Kohala Mountains to the northwest, and its own western and southern slopes are covered with lava from its neighbour, Mauna Loa.