Mauna Loa erupts for the first time since 1984 on Hawaii Island, on November 28, 2022. – The world’s … [+]
The world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii, started erupting this week after almost four decades of quiet. Within hours, fountains of lava tore through the surface not far from the 13,600-foot summit.
On Monday afternoon, Hawaii Time, the eruption moved into the northeast Rift Zone adjacent to the summit, where lava began pouring forth from a handful of fissures.
Spotters flying overhead observed fountains of erupting lava reaching heights between 100 and 200 feet, although most such activity was limited to just a few yards in height. Lava is running downslope to the northeast, but eventually stalled 11 miles from the so-called Saddle Road that cuts through the middle of the Big Island of Hawaii between Mauna Loa and the smaller adjacent dormant volcano, Mauna Kea.
Officials say the lava does not currently threaten any people or property, as it is above 10,000 feet in elevation and centered on the side of Mauna Loa that is less steep, slowing the speed at which the molten earth can advance.
In a way, this is one of the better possible outcomes for an eruption that’s long overdue. Mauna Loa has erupted more than 30 times over the past 200 years, but not since 1984.
Still. there are myriad dangers to be wary of, including ashfall and “vog.”
An eruption on the opposite side of the summit, in the Southwest Rift Zone, could see lava flow down steep slopes all the way to populated oceanside communities in a matter of hours. The USGS says it does not expect any eruptive activity on that side of the volcano.
However new fissures can always activate.
The USGS warns “the early stages of a Mauna Loa eruption can be very dynamic and the location and advance of lava flows can change rapidly.”
Meanwhile, the eruption is putting on a show for those living on its outer flanks along the island’s coastline, where the sky is tinted reddish-orange from the glow of lava that can be seen up to 45 miles away. Certainly helps that it is emanating from near the island’s highest point, towering at over 13,000 feet above sea level.
