Halema'uma'u Crater's lava lake, Kīlauea Caldera, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

© Stephen Matera/Tandem Stills + Motio

A scene of wild beauty. Halema'uma'u Crater, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

As National Park Week wraps up today, let's explore a park in a land sculpted by fire and time—Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. The Halema'uma'u Crater is an intermittent lava lake in Kīlauea, one of Earth's most active volcanoes. Since it was first documented in 1823, volcanic activity has caused the crater to fill with lava, partially collapse, erupt in fountains of lava, expand to twice its size on two occasions, and at times fill with groundwater. All this activity demonstrates the unpredictable raw power that lies below the surface of the Earth. The natural and cultural importance of this site led to the establishment of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in 1916, and to it being named a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site in the 1980s.