Luke Doherty
On November 28th at 4:30 AM eastern time the largest currently active volcano, Mauna Loa, erupted in Hawaii for the first time since 1984. The eruption began from a series of earthquakes at 11:30 PM EST on November 27th.
The volcano’s eruption reaches about half of Hawaii's Big Island. “A trace to less than one quarter inch of ashfall could accumulate on parts of the island” Honolulu National Weather Service said.
Lava from the volcano was about 2.3 miles away from reaching a major highway in Hawaii's Big Island as of December 5th. Traveling at 25 feet per hour, transportation offices are keeping an eye on the flow and will shut down the road if it gets too close. This would shut down this highway for the 5,000 residents south of the volcano. While it may reach the highway, there is no threat to the residents' homes. And the volcano has continued to erupt at a slower pace as of December 2nd.
The eruption compromises flights to the area as well. Southwest Airlines stopped operations on the 28th due to the eruption. 5 flights to and from Honolulu have been canceled. It is advised that passengers should check with their airline prior to their flight in case of a cancellation due to the ashfall.
Mauna Loa’s prior eruptions had shown a pattern of not producing explosive eruptions, instead the lava flows at a slow pace down the side of the volcano. Half of the previous eruptions stayed inside the summit area, with this taken into account the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency did not feel the eruption was threatening to the population.
Remarkably, the eruption sparked the neighboring Kilauea volcano to erupt, resulting in a very rare dual eruption. Kilauea is a much smaller volcano which has been actively erupting since September 2021. One of its series of eruptions destroyed more than 700 homes. Now the lava is contained in a crater around it. Both eruptions are not threatening to the island residents' homes.
This dual eruption phenomenon is causing tourists to flock to see the flow of lava which could be dangerous. If not at a proper distance, the volcanic gas cloud could suffocate people around the volcano.
The flowing lava is not as big of a concern as it is easy to predict its flow and evacuate if needed. The volcanic gasses are much more deadly. The sulfur dioxide and chlorine in it can do serious damage to the respiratory system.
The lava flow is not traveling west towards the towns of Hawaii's Big Island, instead it is flowing northeast. The lava would need to travel very far to pose any threat to civilization and property.
The US Federal Aviation Administration did not issue any evacuation notices due to lava or air quality as of December 2nd. So far there's no warning to evacuate or seek shelter.
The eruption designated the volcano still an active hazard on the 2nd of December, as it continued erupting along the Northeast Rift Zone.
The air quality is still still safe on the island as of December 2nd though it can quickly get worse, and if it does local residents have been advised to stay indoors with the windows shut. If the gas blows downwind the gas could cause eye irritation and breathing problems.
“With natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, wildfires or hurricanes, there’s usually not much time to prepare. People should always prioritize their indoor air quality to proactively create a healthy environment.” Air quality expert George Negron said.
With the last eruption occurring nearly 40 years ago, Mauna Loa’s eruption gives a new generation of scientists a chance to study how the volcano works.
"It will be interesting for us to see where the magma is stored inside Mauna Loa - where it stays in between welling up from the Earth's mantle and coming out from the volcano's surface," Geophysics Professor Andrew Hooper said.