
An aerial view of the prominent 1940 cinder-and-spatter cone on the floor of Mauna Loa's summit caldera. The cone, about 100 m (330 ft) high, was built during a 134-day-long eruption that began on April 7, 1940. Most of the caldera floor around the cone is covered by lava flows erupted in 1984. USGS photo.
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STORY SUMMARY
HAWAIʻI ISLAND - The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is keeping a close watch on the volcano, and in this week's article, reflects on past eruptions that have occurred in the month of April.
During the 1926 Mauna Loa eruption, an ʻaʻā flow about 457 m (1500 ft) wide and 9 m (30 ft) high headed straight for the village of Ho‘ōpūloa on April 18, as shown here. By the next day, the lava flow had destroyed a dozen houses, a church, and the wharf, and had nearly obliterated the bay. Photo by Army Air Corps, 11th Photo Section.
(BIVN) – Mauna Loa Volcano is not erupting. Rates of deformation and seismicity have not changed significantly over the past week and remain above long-term background levels, scientists say, and the alert level for the volcano remains at ADVISORY.
In this week’s Volcano Watch article, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates, the authors looks to the past to better understand future Mauna Loa eruptions.