- Servicio Geológico de Estados Unidos
VIVA – The world's largest active-status volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii began erupting for the first time in nearly four decades. The eruption triggered volcanic ash and debris to fall nearby on Monday, November 28, 2022.
The eruption started late Sunday at about 11:30 p.m. HST in Moku‘?weoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory alert. The observatory said it was working closely with emergency management partners, as quoted from Usatoday site.
On Monday morning, it was said that the lava flow was contained within the summit area, but did not threaten the surrounding communities.
"However, lava flows in the summit area are visible from Kona. There is currently no indication of eruptive migration into the rift zone," the Hawaii Volcano Observatory said in a statement.
As launched from The Guardian, Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the rift zone is where the mountain splits, the rock is cracked and relatively weak and magma is easier to emerge.
How Long Volcano Erupts is Unpredictable
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How long the volcano erupts and whether it could cause lava to flow into populated areas of the island is, unfortunately, unpredictable.
"But I can tell you, we are in constant communication right now with Hawaii Civil Defense, and they are providing updates to members of the community," the USGS spokesperson, Miel Corbett stated.
While noting there was no indication of lava escaping from the summit of mountain, the civil defense agency said it had opened shelters in Kailua-Kona and Pahala as there were reports of people self-evacuating along the South Kona coast.
"Images have appeared on social media showing lava activity outside the caldera. At this time, no lava migration into the rift zone has been confirmed," the civil defense agency said in a statement.
The USGS also warned residents to be careful of Mauna Loa lava flows should prepare for the next eruption. Scientists have been on alert due to a recent spike in earthquakes at the top of the volcano, which were previously detected the last time in 1984.
Parts of the Big Island are under an ashfall warning issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu, which said that up to a quarter inch (0.6 cm) of ash could accumulate in some areas.
Five Volcanoes that Formed the Big Island of Hawaii
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Mauna Loa is one of the five volcanoes that formed the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
Mauna Loa, at 13,679 feet (4,169 m) above sea level, is a much larger mountain than the Kilauea volcano, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018.
Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea's so when it erupts the lava can flow faster. During the 1950 eruption, the mountain's lava traveled 15 miles (24 km) to the ocean in less than three hours.
