Mauna Loa is among Earth's most active volcanoes, having erupted 34 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.

Nov 27, 2023 · Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth. Mauna Loa is in the shield-building stage of Hawaiian volcanism, a period when the volcanoes grow most rapidly, adding as much as 95 percent of their ultimate volume.

Jan 2, 2025 · Background: Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet and covers half of the Island of Hawaiʻi. Eruptions tend to produce voluminous, fast-moving lava flows that can impact communities on the east and west sides of the Island.

HVO monitors earthquakes and the active volcanoes in Hawaii, assesses their hazards, issues warnings, and advances scientific understanding to reduce the impacts of volcanic eruptions. Communicating the results of our work to the public, emergency managers, and the scientific community is an important aspect of the HVO mission.

Volcano Hazards Program, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Mauna Loa [S1cam] - Live view of the upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea, view is to the south September 23, 2021

Rising gradually to more than 4 km (2.5 mi) above sea level, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet. Its submarine flanks descend to the sea floor an additional 5 km (3 mi), and the sea floor in turn is depressed by Mauna Loa's great mass another 8 km (5 mi).

Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 34 times since 1843. An eruption 1984 lasted 22 days and produced lava flows which reached to within about 7.2 km (4.5 miles) of Hilo, the largest population center on the Island of Hawai‘i.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has a large range of elevation from sea level to the summit of Mauna Loa at 13,678 feet, resulting in a variety of landscapes and ecosystems. There are seven ecological zones within the park including seacoast, lowland forest, mid-elevation woodland, rain forest, upland forest, subalpine, and alpine.

Jan 2, 2025 · Background: Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet and covers half of the Island of Hawaiʻi. Eruptions tend to produce voluminous, fast-moving lava flows that can impact communities on the east and west sides of the Island.

4 days ago · The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issues Volcano Updates for Kīlauea as activity warrants.