On October 5th of 2022, the summit of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii was closed off due to volcanic unrest. In the past several weeks, earthquake activity at the volcano has rapidly increased, and this occurred alongside changes in tiltmeter sensors. It can thus be said that the chance of Mauna Loa erupting is potentially at its highest since its last eruption ended in 1984. If this volcano does, erupt, where would the lava flow? How much warning would there be before an eruption? This video will answer these two questions and discuss the ongoing volcanic unrest.
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Graphics, tables, and images which contain eruption dates, lengths, and/or VEIs are sourced from (and sometimes courtesy of) the Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (although sometimes with minor changes made by GeologyHub). https://volcano.si.edu/
Citation: Global Volcanism Program, 2013. Volcanoes of the World, v. 4.11.2 (02 Sep 2022). Venzke, E (ed.). Smithsonian Institution. Downloaded 7 Oct 2022. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW4-2013.
Source of Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) methodology and criteria: Newhall, C. G., and Self, S. (1982), The volcanic explosivity index (VEI) an estimate of explosive magnitude for historical volcanism, J. Geophys. Res., 87( C2), 1231– 1238, doi:10.1029/JC087iC02p01231. Accessed / Read on Oct 5 2022.
Google Earth imagery used in this video: ©Google & Data Providers
Key for volcano color codes shown in this video (this is only if they do not represent official alert levels from local government / volcanological agencies):
GREEN – Normal volcanic activity, very low chance of an eruption.
YELLOW – Unusual levels of volcanic activity, potential changes at the volcano, increased risk of an eruption.
ORANGE – High volcanic unrest, this often means a volcano is about to erupt or has a greatly increased likelihood of erupting in the short to mid term future (seconds to weeks). However, an eruption occurring is not a certainty as this alert level.
RED – The volcano is erupting.
Thumbnail Photo Credit: T. Elias, U.S. Geological Survey, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Public Domain
0:00 Current Situation
0:56 Background Information
1:39 Is an eruption imminent?
2:37 Where might lava flow?
3:27 A change in sensor readings
4:07 Conclusion
Sources:
[1] Global Volcanism Program, 2019. Report on Mauna Loa (United States). In: Sennert, S K (ed.), Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 26 June-2 July 2019. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
[2] U.S. Geological Survey, Volcano Watch — Mauna Loa 1950 eruption: A lot of lava with little warning, https://www.usgs.gov/news/volcano-watch-mauna-loa-1950-eruption-lot-lava-little-warning
[3] National Parks Service, Mauna Loa, https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/mauna-loa.htm
[4] U.S. Geological Survey, Geology and History, https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/geology-and-history#:~:text=Landslides%20have%20also%20occurred%20from,Loa%20emerged%20above%20sea%20level.
[5] Varugu, B., Amelung, F. Southward growth of Mauna Loa’s dike-like magma body driven by topographic stress. Sci Rep 11, 9816 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89203-6, CC BY 4.0
[6] U.S. Geological Survey, Frequently Asked Questions about Mauna Loa Volcano, https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/frequently-asked-questions-about-mauna-loa-volcano
[7] U.S. Geological Survey, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
[8] Global Volcanism Program, 2004. Report on Mauna Loa (United States). In: Mayberry, G (ed.), Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 8 September-14 September 2004. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
[9] Global Volcanism Program, 2013. Mauna Loa (332020) in Volcanoes of the World, v. 4.11.2 (02 Sep 2022). Venzke, E (ed.). Smithsonian Institution. Downloaded 07 Oct 2022 (https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=332020). https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW4-2013
