Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupting for first time in almost 40 years - CBS News

Mauna Loa volcano successful Hawaii begins to erupt

Mauna Loa volcano successful Hawaii begins to erupt 01:57

Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest progressive volcano, started erupting Sunday night, the U.S. Geological Survey said arsenic it raised the alert level for the volcano from an "advisory" to a "warning."

"At this time, lava flows are contained wrong the acme country and are not threatening downslope communities," the USGS said successful its alert notice, issued successful conjunction with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. But it noted that, "based connected past events, the aboriginal stages of a Mauna Loa eruption tin beryllium precise dynamic and the determination and beforehand of lava flows tin alteration rapidly."   

An representation taken by a webcam situated on the northwest rim of the acme caldera of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano aboriginal connected November 28, 2022 shows an eruption which, astatine the time, was confined to the crater. USGS

Should the eruption dispersed extracurricular the walls of Mauna Loa's acme caldera, oregon crater, "lava flows whitethorn determination rapidly downslope."

For that reason, the bureau warned each residents connected Hawai'i Island who are "at hazard from Mauna Loa lava flows" to "review preparedness and notation to Hawai'i County Civil Defense accusation for further guidance. "

Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843, according to the USGS. It past erupted successful 1984, erstwhile lava spilled down its slopes and came wrong 4.5 miles of the island's biggest town, Hilo.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it was "in adjacent consultation with exigency absorption partners and volition beryllium monitoring the volcano intimately to supply further updates connected activity."

The observatory planned to transportation retired an overflight of the volcano "as soon arsenic possible" to find the quality of the eruption and "assess hazards."

Mauna Loa's Hawaiian sanction means "long mountain," which is fitting arsenic the immense upland extends astir 74 miles from its borderline on Hawai'i Island's confederate coast, to the rim of the caldera wherever the eruption began connected Sunday evening.

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• Volcano
• eruption
• Hawaii