Hawaii mauno loa on which island12/16/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() More than 220 people attended a community meeting earlier this month that county civil defense officials held in Ocean View, a neighborhood that lava could reach in hours if molten rock erupts through vents on Mauna Loa’s southwest flank.īob Werner, an Ocean View resident who didn’t attend the meeting, said it’s wise to be aware of a possible eruption but not to fear it. The temblors have declined in frequency in recent days but could rise again. The volcano makes up 51 percent of the Big Island's landmass. Scientists believe more earthquakes are occurring because more magma is flowing into Mauna Loa’s summit reservoir system from the hot spot under the earth’s surface that feeds molten rock to Hawaii’s volcanoes. ![]() Geological Survey, said Mauna Loa has been in a state of “heightened unrest” since the middle of last month when the number of summit earthquakes jumped from 10 to 20 per day to 40 to 50 per day. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which is part of the U.S. Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea’s so when it erupts, its lava can flow much faster.ĭuring a 1950 eruption, the mountain’s lava traveled 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the ocean in less than three hours. Mauna Loa, rising 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, is the much larger neighbor to Kilauea volcano, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018. All the more reason why Magno said officials are spreading the word about the science of the volcano and urging people to be prepared. There’s been a surge of development on the Big Island in recent decades - its population has more than doubled to 200,000 today from 92,000 in 1980 - and many newer residents weren’t around when Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. The volcano makes up 51 percent of the Big Island's landmass, so a large portion of the island has the potential to be affected by an eruption, Magno said. There’s a potential for some kind of lava disaster,” said Talmadge Magno, the administrator for Hawaii County Civil Defense. “Not to panic everybody, but they have to be aware of that you live on the slopes of Mauna Loa. They recommend having a ″go″ bag with food, identifying a place to stay once they leave home and making a plan for reuniting with family members. Hawaii’s civil defense agency is holding meetings across the island to educate residents about how to prepare for a possible emergency. ![]()
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