Trusdell’s talk is one of many programs offered by HVO in January, Hawaii Island’s third annual Volcano Awareness Month. For more information about this presentation, please call 985-6011. Additional Volcano Awareness Month events are posted on HVO’s website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
Mauna Loa’s past eruptions and current status are the topic of an After Dark in the Park program in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at 7 p.m. today in the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium. Park entrance fees apply.
Frank Trusdell, a U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist who has studied Mauna Loa for two decades, will present this talk about the largest volcano on Earth.
Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. Its most recent eruption began on March 25, 1984. During that 23-day-long eruption, Mauna Loa sent lava flows to within four miles of the Hilo city limits. Earlier eruptions on the volcano impacted West Hawaii. In 1950, lava flows from Mauna Loa’s southwest rift zone crossed Highway 11 in three places on the Mamalahoa highway. The first flow, which erupted from a fissure at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet, flowed from the vent to the ocean in less than three hours. During Mauna Loa’s 1859 eruption, lava flows traveled from vents high on the northwest flank of the volcano and entered the ocean near Kiholo Bay, a distance of over 31 miles, in eight days.
Because Mauna Loa has now slumbered for more than 25 years, new residents may not be aware that Mauna Loa is an active volcano, and long-time residents may have forgotten the full potential of earthquake, volcano and gas hazards posed by the volcano. When Mauna Loa erupts, it is capable of disrupting lives and commerce throughout Hawaii Island.
According to Trusdell, Mauna Loa will erupt again, and there’s a good chance that it will be during your lifetime.
“HVO closely monitors Mauna Loa, and will notify the public of any changes in its currently quiet status,” Trusdell said. “But it’s important for island residents to be aware of the volcano’s potential activity now so that they are prepared for its next eruption.”
Trusdell’s talk is one of many programs offered by HVO in January, Hawaii Island’s third annual Volcano Awareness Month. For more information about this presentation, please call 985-6011. Additional Volcano Awareness Month events are posted on HVO’s website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.