Hawaii’s Mauna Loa starts to erupt after 38 years. Mauna Loa, which means “long mountain” In Hawaiian started to erupt after 38 years but no such threatening waves have been spread throughout the Island. Officials have warned the residents of the Big Island about the possibility of a “long mountain” sending ash nearby. The World’s Largest Active Volcano remained quiet for thirty-eight years but has now started to make some noise.
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa starts to erupt after 38 years:
Mauna Loa had been sending warnings since the month of September, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey. But still, things look in control, although precautionary measures have been advised. According to the press release by
National Park Service:
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park remains open following a new eruption on Mauna Loa volcano that began in the summit caldera late Sunday night and migrated to the northeast rift zone Monday morning.
U.S. Geological Survey has issued a warning for the two hundred thousand residents about the harms associated with the eruption.
A sense of excitement is going through Hawaii as the scenes which they last saw in March 1984 might return after a long time.
Although its eruption has been recorded thirty-three times keep in mind that earlier eruptions might not have been recorded.
The Volcano Alert Level has been assigned as a “warning” by the federal agency which means “hazardous eruption is imminent, underway or suspected.” Mitch Roth, mayor of Hawaii County, said we haven’t received any emergency evacuation calls and we believe that eruption doesn’t seem threatening. Still, precautionary measures have been taken and advised at the same time.
Ken Hon, the scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcanos Observatory, said that eruption started late hours of Sunday night with bit large earthquakes but confined to limited space.
It needs to be mentioned here that Mauna Loa comprises 51% of the island of Hawaii, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
Much of it is under the water, and almost 13,000 feet of it is rising above sea level. According to scientists’ estimation, about 300,000 years ago, Mauna Loa most probably rise above sea level and since then it has been rapidly growing.
“Typically, Mauna Loa eruptions start off with the heaviest volume first,” Hon said.
“After a few days, it starts to calm down a little bit,” he adds.
Out of the 33 times (recorded) when Mauna Loa erupted, one that occurred in the spring of 1868 is considered to be the most severe and deadliest eruption, when 4,000 acres of land were smashed and the Fatality rate reached 77 residents who died in landslides and a tsunami and landslides induced by earthquakes.
Lava kept flowing for almost five days and the eruption is considered one of the deadliest natural disasters in Hawaiian history. During a 1950 eruption, the mountain’s lava travelled 15 miles (24 kilometres) to the ocean in fewer than three hours.
Tourism is the most significant fuel of the Hawaiian economy and although eruption doesn’t seem threatening, it might cause some problems for the locals if things get out of hand.
