This Mauna Loa presentation video contains media obtained from USGS and Google Earth with some of the significant October 2022 updates from; USGS at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/maunaloa/photo-video-chronology and earthquakes data.
According to the USGS Mauna Loa Volcano submarine flanks descend to the seafloor an additional 5 km (16,400 ft), and the seafloor in turn is depressed by Mauna Loa’s great mass another 8 km (26,200 ft). This makes the volcano’s summit about 17 km (55,700 ft) above its base! The enormous volcano covers half of the Island of Hawai‘i and by itself amounts to about 85 percent of the area of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined.
The Hawaiian name “Mauna Loa” means “Long Mountain.” This name is apt, for the subaerial part of Mauna Loa extends for about 120 km (74 mi) from the southern tip of the island to the summit caldera and then east-northeast to the coastline near Hilo.
Mauna Loa is among Earth’s most active volcanoes, having erupted 33 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. It last erupted in 1984, when a lava flow came within 7.2 km (4.5 mi) of Hilo, the largest population center on the island. Mauna Loa is certain to erupt again, and with such a propensity to produce large flows, we carefully monitor the volcano for signs of unrest.
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Monday, October 24, 2022, 8:47 AM HST (Monday, October 24, 2022, 18:47 UTC)
MAUNA LOA (VNUM #332020)
19°28’30” N 155°36’29” W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Activity Summary: Mauna Loa is not erupting and there are no signs of an imminent eruption at this time. However, Mauna Loa continues to be in a state of heightened unrest as indicated by increased earthquake activity and inflation of the summit. The current unrest is most likely being driven by renewed input of magma 2–5 miles (3–8 km) beneath Mauna Loa’s summit. Monitoring data show no significant changes in the past day.
Observations: During the past 24 hours, HVO detected 19 small-magnitude (below M3.0) earthquakes 2–3 miles (3–5 km) below Mokuāʻweoweo caldera and 4–5 miles (6–8 km) beneath the upper-elevation northwest flank of Mauna Loa. Both of these regions have historically been seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa. A magnitude-3.1 earthquake occurred at about 8:35 p.m. HST on October 23 at a depth of 4 km (2.5 mi) below Mokuāʻweoweo caldera. This earthquake caused a small step excursion in the data stream at MOK tiltmeter.
Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments at the summit and on the flanks of Mauna Loa continue to measure inflation at rates elevated since mid-September. However, tiltmeters at the summit are not showing significant surface deformation over the past week.
Concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as fumarole temperatures, remain stable at the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the upper Southwest Rift Zone. Webcam and thermal camera views have shown no changes to the volcanic landscape on Mauna Loa over the past week.
EARTHQUAKE DESCRIPTION
Magnitude: 5.0 (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000itqe)
Date and time: October 14, 2022 at 09:07:29 a.m. HST
Location: 4 mi (6 km) west of Pāhala, Island of Hawaiʻi
Depth: 4.5 mi (7.5 km) below sea level
Aftershocks are occurring and are expected to continue in the following days and possibly weeks.
The magnitude-5.0 earthquake was preceded by a magnitude-4.6 event that overlapped with it (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv73178772).
Mauna Loa activity summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8866
HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand how the eruption is evolving at Kīlauea’s summit, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. Visitors to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park should note that under southerly (non-trade) wind conditions, there is potential for a dusting of powdery to gritty ash composed of volcanic glass and rock fragments.
Media Source: USGS HVO, Google
Music from YouTube Audio Library for Creators.
Please note that the original USGS medias in this video had complete silence for the audio channel.
