Volcano Information
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Mauna Loa
- Current Update, last updated Apr 2, 2013 07:44 HST:
Mauna Loa was not inflating. Seismicity rates were slightly elevated.
Deformation: is occurring at slow rates dominated by continued southeast motion of the southeast flank. Localized uplift (~1 cm/yr rate) has been measured near the summit caldera.
Seismicity: Seismic activity in the mid- and upper-crust under the summit was above background levels. HVO seismic networks detected 5 shallow events beneath the summit area and 5 mid-crustal (5-20 km or 3 to 12 mi), 3 shallow events within the northeast rift zone, two shallow events within upper southwest rift.
Gas: No significant changes in SO2, CO2 were recorded by the Mokuaweoweo gas and temperature monitors during November. Fumarole temperature declined early in the month from about 73 to 71 degrees, before recovering towards the end of the month.
Volcanic History Overview: Massive Mauna Loa shield volcano rises almost 9 km above the sea floor to form the world's largest active volcano. Flank eruptions are predominately from the lengthy NE and SW rift zones, and the summit is cut by the Mokuaweoweo caldera, which sits within an older and larger 6 x 8 km caldera. Two of the youngest large debris avalanches documented in Hawaii traveled nearly 100 km from Mauna Loa; the second of the Alika avalanches was emplaced about 105,000 years ago (Moore et al. 1989). Almost 90% of the surface of the basaltic shield volcano is covered by lavas less than 4000 years old (Lockwood and Lipman, 1987). During a 750-year eruptive period beginning about 1500 years ago, a series of voluminous overflows from a summit lava lake covered about one fourth of the volcano's surface. The ensuing 750-year period, from shortly after the formation of Mokuaweoweo caldera until the present, saw an additional quarter of the volcano covered with lava flows predominately from summit and NW rift zone vents.
Location: Hawaii and Pacific Ocean, HI
Latitude: 19.475
Longitude: -155.608
Elevation: 4170 m
Recent Eruption: 1984- Hazard Assessments: Mullineaux, Donal Ray; Peterson, Donald W., 1974, Volcanic hazards on the Island of Hawaii, Open-File Report 74-239.
- Link to monitoring data: Recent Earthquakes in Hawaii Page
Volcanic Alert Level: NORMAL Aviation Color Code: GREEN
