MAUNA KEA

dormant volcano in north-central Hawaii Island, Hawaii, U.S., and the focus of a state park (500 acres [202 hectares]). It is the highest point in the state (13,796 feet above sea level), and its name means white mountain, so-called because it is often snowcapped. The dome is 30 miles (48 km) across, with numerous cinder cones, and is the site of a major astronomical observatory. Lava flows from Mauna Kea have buried the southern slopes of the Kohala Mountains (to the northwest), whereas its own western and southern slopes are covered with lava from Mauna Loa, its still-active neighbour. During the Ice Age a glacier about 250 feet (75 m) thick covered the peak and formed Lake Waiau at 13,020 feet (3,970 m). High on the slopes (12,400 feet ) several caves have been discovered where ancient Hawaiians quarried the basalt for adzes and other cutting tools. Pohakuloa (8,000 feet ) is a base camp for skiers and hunters.