Global Volcanism Program

Kao

Google Earth Placemark with Features

Cite Volcano Profile

Tonga
New Zealand to Fiji
Stratovolcano
Unknown - Evidence Credible

Country
Volcanic Region
Primary Volcano Type
Last Known Eruption

19.67°S
175.03°W
1030 m
3378 ft
243061

Latitude
Longitude
Summit
Elevation
Volcano
Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports for Kao.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Kao.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Kao.

The Global Volcanism Program has no synonyms or subfeatures listed for Kao.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

243061

Unknown - Evidence Credible

1030 m / 3378 ft

19.67°S
175.03°W

Volcano Types

Stratovolcano

Rock Types

Major
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Oceanic crust (< 15 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

236
1,170
1,563
8,602

Geological Summary

The highest and most spectacular volcano of the Tonga Islands, symmetrical Kao rises steeply about 6 km N of Tofua Island. It is elongated in a NNE-SSW direction and, with the exception of a small flat area on the SSW coast, rises at angles exceeding 35 degrees to the summit, which has a series of small coalescing craters. The lower flanks of the basaltic-andesite volcano are densely jungled, but the upper slopes are almost vegetation free. No historical eruptions are known, nor fresh-appearing lava flows seen, although the absence of sufficient time for erosion to produce deep gullies or high sea cliffs suggests a very recent origin.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Bryan W B, Stice G D, Ewart A, 1972. Geology, petrology, and geochemistry of the volcanic islands of Tonga. J Geophys Res, 77: 1566-1585.

Taylor P W, Ewart A, 1997. The Tofua Volcanic Arc, Tonga, SW Pacific: a review of historic volcanic activity. Aust Volc Invest Occ Rpt, 97/01: 1-58.

Eruptive History

The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Kao. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 10,000 years ago, information might be found on the Kao page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Kao.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Kao.