Ninole Hills facts for kids

The Ninole Hills, also known as the Ninole Volcanic Series, are steep, worn-down hills made of volcanic rock on the south side of the Island of Hawaii. Scientists believe these hills are either the remains of huge, steep slopes that existed before the Mauna Loa volcano, or they are parts of the oldest cracks in the Earth that make up Mauna Loa, which were pushed upwards. Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano in the world!

What Are the Ninole Hills?

The Ninole Hills are like the leftover edges of a giant, deep bowl. This bowl was formed when a massive ancient landslide called the Punalu`u landslide slid away. Over a very long time, these edges were worn down by weather and water, creating deep valleys.

How They Formed

As lava from Mauna Loa flowed, it slowly filled up the big hollow left by the landslide. But the lava didn't completely cover the highest parts of the old rim. So, today, you can still see the tops of these ridges, which are the Ninole Hills. They look very rough and rugged, which shows they are much older than the land around them.

How Old Are the Ninole Hills?

Most of the surface of Mauna Loa volcano was formed in the last 4,000 years. But the Ninole Hills are much, much older! Experts believe they are between 100,000 and 200,000 years old.

During this ancient time, the south side of Mauna Loa seems to have had huge collapses. These events caused giant rock and dirt landslides that broke off big pieces of the volcano. When these chunks slid away, they uncovered older parts of Mauna Loa, and the Ninole Hills are some of those ancient remnants.