Some 590 miles northwest of Honolulu, a small, unassuming island known as Pลซhฤhonu (Hawaiian for "turtle rising for breath") covers only a 5-acre expanse. But underneath the sea, Pลซhฤhonu is actually the very tip of the world's largest volcano. Pลซhฤhonu is a shield volcano, a type of volcano named for its overall shape — which resembles a shield laying on the ground — and in 2020, scientists confirmed that its size surpassed that of the previous record-holder, Mauna Loa. At 36,000 cubic miles, it's almost twice the size of Mauna Loa, which clocks in at only 19,200 cubic miles. Part of the reason Pลซhฤhonu remained such a well-kept secret is that nearly two-thirds of its bulk is below the ocean floor, and is covered by debris and broken coral. The volcano is so heavy, it has actually caused the Earth's crust nearby to sink. | 
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