A volcano named Vailulu'u is located about 28 miles east of Ta'u Island and rises more than 14,400 feet from the seafloor to within 2,000 feet of the ocean surface. The circular summit crater of Vailulu'u is 400 meters (about 1,300 feet) deep and 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) wide.
"Thought you might like a perspective view of Vailulu'u, created from the bathymetry we collected when we discovered it. Feel free to post it on your site for all to enjoy. I have spent many weeks on Ta'u doing geology with my students, and it is a place dear to my heart. Will be back in August to do some high precision GPS measurements, with the aim of assessing the general stability of the island. Next spring we will return to take a submersible down into the crater to get a better look at what's there. Soifua, Stan Hart, Woods Hole Oceanograhic Institution"
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