Pago (American Samoa) facts for kids
Pago is a huge, wide volcano located on Tutuila Island, which is the biggest island in American Samoa. This island group is found in the South Pacific Ocean. Pago is known as a "shield volcano" because it looks like a warrior's shield lying on the ground. It's wide and gently sloped, not steep and pointy like some other volcanoes.
Pago Volcano: A Giant of American Samoa
How Pago Volcano Formed
Pago Volcano was created by eruptions that happened on land, not underwater. These eruptions took place a very long time ago, between 1.54 and 1.28 million years ago. Scientists believe that this volcano once stood as tall as 3,937 feet (1,200 m) above the sea! The volcanic activity at Pago Volcano stopped around 1 million years ago.
The Pago Caldera and Pago Pago Harbor
A large, bowl-shaped hollow called a caldera formed at Pago Volcano about 1.27 million years ago. This happened when the ground above the volcano's magma chamber collapsed after a big eruption. The Pago caldera is quite large, stretching about 5.9 miles (9.5 km) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide.
An interesting fact is that the southeastern part of this caldera now forms Pago Pago Harbor. This is one of the biggest natural harbors in the world! Also, the northwestern edge of the caldera, known as Maugaloa Ridge, creates the southern border of the beautiful National Park of American Samoa.
