What is the history of the Mauna Loa volcano?
Mauna Loa is among Earth’s most active volcanoes, having erupted 33 times since its first well-documented historical eruption in 1843. It has produced large, voluminous flows of basalt that have reached the ocean eight times since 1868.
When was the last Mauna Loa eruption?
April 15, 1984
Mauna Loa/Last eruption
What was the most famous eruption of Mauna Loa?
1950 eruption
The 1950 eruption of Mauna Loa was the greatest since 1859. Although no lives were lost, it destroyed about two dozen buildings, and buried more than a mile of highway. Its six major lava flows contain on the order of one billion tons of lava.
Why did Mauna Loa erupt in 1950?
In March 1950, Mauna Loa inflation was so significant that tilt was recorded at the summit of Kīlauea. Two months later, continuing deformation was accompanied by a sharp increase in small earthquakes, signaling the increased probability of an eruption.
When did Mauna Kea first erupt?
Submarine eruptions began to build Mauna kea from the sea floor around ~0.8 million years ago. The basaltic shield stage of volcanism began by at least 0.3 million years ago. Alkalic postshield activity began about 60-70 thousand years ago and its youngest known eruptions occurred around 4000-5000 years ago.
What would happen if Mauna Loa erupted?
If the next eruption is explosive, ash could drift into the airspace near the Hilo and Kona airports, cutting off flights. And if lava was to cover a major highway, Trusdell says “we’re talking about impacts to tourism, economy, distribution of goods, people going to work. It may not even have to consume one house.
How many times did Mauna Loa erupt?
Since 1843, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times, averaging one eruption every 5 years. Dates, locations, durations, and other facts about Mauna Loa eruptions are compiled in “Geology & History.”
How much damage did the 1984 Mauna Loa eruption caused?
Most recently, Mauna Loa erupted in 1984, but lava flows caused no significant damage except for burying about 16 miles of land owned by the state.
How long did Mauna Loa 1950 eruption last?
23 days
The 1950 eruption lasted for 23 days. It erupted 376 million cubic meters (492 million cubic yards) of lava, the largest outpouring of lava from the southwest rift zone of Mauna Loa since written records have been kept.
What damage did Mauna Loa cause in 1950?
In 1950, the eruption of Mauna Loa sent voluminous amounts of lava downslope through small villages in upper Ho’okena, destroying homes, a gas station, lodge, church and a cemetery. In 1984, flows came within four miles of Hilo, sparing the town but destroying the forests above.
When did Kohala last erupt?
120,000 years ago
Kohala is an estimated one million years old—so old that it experienced, and recorded, the reversal of earth’s magnetic field 780,000 years ago. It is believed to have breached sea level more than 500,000 years ago and to have last erupted 120,000 years ago.
When did the Mauna Loa volcano erupt in 1868?
As with most eruptions of Mauna Loa, the 1868 eruption began at its summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo. On March 27th, as if the volcano were sending out a warning for all to see, a column of smoke was seen emanating from the top of the mountain. Some on the island reported seeing a glow from molten lava. Earthquakes and tremors soon began to increase.
How many people died in the eruption of Mauna Loa?
1868 Eruption of Mauna Loa The eruption of Mauna Loa in the spring of 1868 and the deadly phenomena surrounding it were one of the greatest natural disasters in Hawaiian history. 77 Hawaiians died in the associated tsunami and landslides. Damage from the great Kaʻū earthquake in 1868 (Courtesy Hawaiʻi Historical Society)
How old was Mauna Kea when it erupted?
Age dating shows that they were erupted 200,000 to 250,000 years ago, which means the rapid-growth shield stage had ended by that time. Scientists estimate that eruptions during the shield stage lasted for about 800,000 years, so Mauna Kea is probably at least 1 million years old.
When did Mauna Loa erupt in Ninole Hills?
Age dating and chemical analysis of lava flows exposed in Nīnole Hills indicates they were erupted about 125,000 years ago from Mauna Loa. In 2013, a detailed gravity survey of the area identified an elongate gravity high, which suggests a concentration of intrusive rocks associated with a rift zone.