Cover.Metalnation.org
November 29, 2022
By Ramya
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Mauna Loa, which covers half the island of Hawaii, has erupted 33 times since 1843, the volcano's first “well-documented historical eruption,” according to the US Geological Survey. It last erupted in 1984, making this prolonged quiet period the volcano's longest in recorded history.
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Mauna Loa, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, covers half of the US state's Big Island. The volcano rises 13,679ft (4,169m) above sea level and spans an area of more than 2,000 sq miles (5,179 sq km).
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“The park is currently open, but visitors should be prepared and stay informed.” Visitors are urged to check the park website www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes for closure updates, safety alerts, air quality and other information including links to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams and eruption updates.
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What happens if Mauna Loa erupts?
It can produce "fast-moving and long-travelled lava flows" which require a "quick response," the U.S. Geological Survey said. There is also a risk that winds may carry volcanic gas and fine ash downwind to the nearby communities.
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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.
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Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
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“The park is currently open, but visitors should be prepared and stay informed,” Loh said. Visitors are urged to check the park website for closure updates, safety alerts, air quality and other information including links to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams and eruption updates.