The World's Largest Active Volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii Erupts for the First Time in 38 Years

The Largest Active Volcano on the Surface Among Hawaii's 5 Volcanoes
Lava Eruption Limited to the Summit Caldera Area... Warning for Gas, Volcanic Ash, and Volcanic Bombs

The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii erupting on March 28, 1984. Photo by AP·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii, USA, has begun erupting for the first time in 38 years. On the 27th (local time), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced that the eruption started around 11:30 PM Hawaii time (6:30 PM Korean time on the 28th) at Mauna Loa volcano, which has an elevation of 4,170 meters. This is the first eruption since 1984.

Mauna Loa, one of the five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii, is known as the largest active volcano on the Earth's surface.

A webcam installed by the USGS at the summit captured lava flowing inside the crater. Fifteen minutes after the eruption began, the USGS upgraded the existing volcanic activity advisory to a warning and raised the aviation color code from yellow to red.

According to the USGS, the lava flow from the Mauna Loa eruption is currently confined to the caldera at the summit called 'Moku‘?weoweo' (a depression formed by volcanic collapse) and is not currently threatening local communities.

However, based on past volcanic eruptions, the initial phase of Mauna Loa’s eruption can be very dynamic, and lava flows may change rapidly, the USGS cautioned. They also warned that winds blowing toward lowland areas could carry volcanic gases, fine volcanic ash, and Pele's hair (thin strands of volcanic glass formed from lava) into the air.

The USGS advised residents who may be at risk from lava flows from Mauna Loa to check their preparedness and refer to civil defense information from Hawaii County authorities. The Hawaii Volcano Observatory plans to monitor the eruption through aerial reconnaissance and assess the level of risk, the USGS reported.

The most recent major eruption of Mauna Loa occurred from March 24 to April 15, 1984. Prior to that, eruptions in 1926 and 1950 destroyed villages on the mountain’s slopes.