Mauna Loa eruption 2022 – live: Hawaii volcano eruption shifts from summit to rift as shelters open and flights delayed

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Video shows the sky glowing red as a volcano erupts on Hawaii’s Big Island.

The eruption triggered dozens of earthquakes, some measuring over 2.5 on the Richter scale.

Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984.

Every eruption since 1843 has started on the summit of Mauna Loa. Half the time, the volcano later also began erupting from lower-elevation vents. The other half of the time it only erupts in the crater at the top of the mountain.

Scientists cannot tell in advance when and where Mauna Loa will open a new vent and erupt.

Vents usually form along the rift zone of a volcano. The mountains there are cracked, the rocks are cracked, relatively fragile, and magma is more likely to appear.

An eruption from the Southwest Rift Zone vent could hit residential areas, coffee farms or coastal villages on the island’s west side. Lava can reach a home within hours or days.

The West Side’s most populous town will be spared the impact of Mauna Loa’s eruption thanks to the presence of another active volcano. Hualalai’s broad flanks lie between the southwestern rift zone of Mauna Loa and Kailua-Kona, blocking any flow of lava to coastal communities.

An eruption in the northeast rift zone could send lava to Hilo County or other towns in eastern Hawaii. It may take weeks or months for the lava to reach populated areas on this side of the mountain.

Scott Rowland, a geologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said there is no set pattern about where volcanic eruptions occur.

“Just because the last one was in the northeast rift doesn’t mean the next one will be in the southwestern rift,” he said.

Kilauea is best known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava into farms and the ocean. The eruption of Mauna Loa was different.

Mauna Loa erupts differently than Kilauea, in part because it’s taller. Its greater height makes its slopes steeper, which allows lava to rush down its slopes more quickly than Kilauea.

Its massive size allows it to store more magma, which in turn produces larger lava flows when it erupts.

Frank Trusdell, a research geologist at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, said the data suggest that Mauna Loa has a much larger magma reservoir than Kilauea, which could make it larger than Kilauea’s. Capable of holding more lava and resting longer between eruptions.

In early October, national park authorities closed the summit of Mauna Loa as a precautionary measure “due to increased seismic activity.”

Shweta Sharma Report independent then.

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaii, the southernmost island of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s not the tallest (that title goes to Mauna Kea), but it is the largest, covering about half of the island’s landmass.

It is immediately north of Kilauea Volcano, which is currently erupting from its summit caldera. Kilauea is best known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava into farms and the ocean.

Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. It has erupted 33 times in recorded history since 1843.

The Big Island is mostly rural, home to cattle ranches, coffee farms and beach resorts. It is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island and home to the state’s capital, Honolulu, and the beach resort of Waikiki.

Southwest Airlines has canceled at least 10 flights to and from Hilo Airport on the Big Island as the Mauna Loa eruption continues.

“The volcanic ash advisory led Southwest Airlines to adjust our operations in Hawaii today, and we will continue to contact customers to update reservations for any flights affected by delays or cancellations,” the company said in a statement. We suspended Hilo flights today. Operations, a total of 10 interisland flights are affected on the route between Honolulu and Hilo alone, and further adjustments will be made as necessary.”

Customers who plan to fly to Hawaii or change their reservations within Hawaii with the same fare are exempt. The exemption applies to Monday and Tuesday bookings.

Aviation officials continue to monitor the situation closely.

A month ago, authorities warned Hawaii residents to prepare for…

hawaii officials warn residents big island The largest active volcano in the world, mauna loaSignals of a possible outbreak are being sent.

While an eruption is not imminent, scientists remain vigilant due to a recent surge in earthquakes at the volcano’s summit. Experts say it only takes a few hours for the lava to reach the nearest homes to the volcano, which last erupted in 1984.

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaii, the southernmost island of the Hawaiian archipelago.

At 13,679 feet (4,169 meters), Mauna Loa is a much larger neighbor than Kilauea, which erupted in residential areas in 2018 and destroyed 700 homes. Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea, so lava can flow a lot faster during eruptions.

During a 1950 eruption, lava from the mountain traveled 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the ocean in less than three hours.

Here’s what’s happening on Mauna Loa right now.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the eruption had migrated into rift zones — places where the mountain’s rock is cracked and relatively fragile — making it easier for magma to emerge.

An eruption in the area could send lava to Hilo County or other towns in eastern Hawaii, but it could take weeks or months for the lava to reach populated areas.

“We don’t want to second-guess volcanoes,” said Ken Hon, lead scientist at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. “We’ve got to have it actually show us what it’s going to do, and then we’re going to notify people as quickly as possible about what’s going on.”

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Department announced that it had opened shelters after it reported people voluntarily evacuating from coastal areas.

The average eruption on Mauna Loa usually doesn’t last very long, just a few weeks, Mr Hung said.

“Typically, Mauna Loa eruptions start first,” Mr. Hon said. “After a few days, it started to calm down a little bit.”