Lava is shooting 100 feet to 200 feet into the air as Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupts for the first time in nearly 40 years. Are homes and communities at risk?
In this aerial photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Mauna Loa volcano is seen erupting from vents on the Northeast Rift Zone on the Big Island of Hawaii, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, began spewing ash and debris from its summit, prompting civil defense officials to warn residents on Monday to prepare in case the eruption causes lava to flow toward communities.
It sits immediately north of Kilauea volcano, which is well-known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava spreading across farms and into the ocean. Mauna Loa’s volume is estimated to be at least 18,000 cubic miles , making it the world’s largest volcano when measured from the ocean floor to its summit.The eruption began Sunday night at its summit after a series of large earthquakes. It then spread to vents that formed in a rift zone where the mountain is splitting apart and it’s easier for magma to emerge.
Historically, each Mauna Loa eruption has lasted a few weeks. Hon expects the current eruption to follow this pattern.Mauna Loa is not exploding like Washington state's Mount St. Helens did in 1980, killing 57 people. That eruption sent ash soaring over 80,000 feet and raining down as far as 250 miles away.
Mauna Loa released some ash this time but on a vastly smaller scale than these examples from composite volcanoes.-Lava: Molten rock could cover houses, farms or neighborhoods, depending on where it flows. But lava from the northeast rift zone will likely take at least a week to reach populated areas, allowing people time to evacuate if needed.
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