Mauna Kea (/ËmÉËnÉ Ëkeɪ.É/ or /ËmaÊnÉ Ëkeɪ.É/; Hawaiian: [ËmÉunÉ ËkÉjÉ]) is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing 13,796 ft (4,205 m) above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the U.S. state of Hawaii. However, much of Mauna Kea is below sea level; when measured from its oceanic base, its height is 33,500 ft (10,200 m)âmore than twice Mount Everest's base-to-peak height of 3,650 to 4,650 meters (11,980 to 15,260 ft). Mauna Kea is about one million years old, and thus past the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago. In its current post-shield state, its lava is more viscous, resulting in a steeper profile. Late volcanism has also given it a much smoother appearance than its neighboring volcanoes: contributing factors include the construction of cinder cones, the decentralization of its rift zones, the glaciation on its peak, and the weathering effects of the prevailing trade winds. Mauna Kea last erupted 4,600 years ago. According to the USGS, as of January 2012, the Volcanic Alert Level is "Normal".[4]
Using the Subaru and Keck optical/infrared telescopes on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, a 4,200 metre-high summit which houses the world’s largest observatory for optical, infrared and submillimeter astronomy, a team of Japanese astronomers claim in a recently published paper that they’ve discovered the earliest galaxy found thus far in the known Universe – it is 12.91 billion years [...]
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Tue, Jun 12, 2012
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