Āliamanu Crater

Āliamanu Crater, also known as Leilono Crater^[1][2] or North Crater,^[2] is a volcanic tuff cone in the Salt Lake neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii.^[3]

Āliamanu Crater
Aerial view of Salt Lake (Āliapa‘akai) with Āliamanu Crater directly above
Highest point
Elevation	760 ft (230 m)
Coordinates	21°21′42″N 157°54′54″W
Geography
Āliamanu Crater Āliamanu Crater within Hawaii
Location	Salt Lake, Hawaii, United States
Parent range	Hawaiian Islands
Geology
Mountain type	Tuff cone
Volcanic arc	Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain

It has an elevation of 760 feet,^[4] towering the nearby Āliapa‘akai and Makalapa craters.

History

The first geological description of Aliamanu was done by 19th century geologist James Dwight Dana.^[5]

In the early 20th century, the US military constructed a military base within the crater now known as the Aliamanu Military Reserve. The area was also used for underground ammunition storage.^[4]

Geology

Āliamanu was one of the many tuff craters formed during the Honolulu Volcanics, a series of eruptions in southeastern Oahu.^[3]

Legends

The Ancient hawaiians believed the upper rim of Aliamanu crater to be the location of Leilono, a site said to contain the entrance to the otherworld (Pō).^[6]

Legends also record the Hawaiian goddesses Pele and Hiʻiaka using the crater as a habitat.^[6]