Established on Kīlauea in 1912, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), presently a branch of the United States Geological Survey, is the primary organization associated with the monitoring, observance, and study of Hawaiian volcanoes. Thomas A. Jaggar, the observatory's founder, attempted a summit expedition to Mauna Loa to observe its 1914 eruption, but was rebuffed by the arduous trek required (see Ascents). After soliciting help from Lorrin A. Thurston, in 1915 he was able to persuade the US Army to construct a "simple route to the summit" for public and scientific use, a project completed in December of that year; the Observatory has maintained a presence on the volcano ever since.
Monitoring
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a branch of the United States Geological Survey. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
when was the last time mauna loa volcano erupted
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March 24 to April 15, 1984.
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what is the main entity?
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It is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the Pacific Ocean.
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what is its weather like?
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It has a tropical climate with warm temperatures at lower elevations and cool to cold temperatures higher up year-round.
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who monitors this volcano?
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Mauna Loa has a tropical climate with warm temperatures at lower elevations and cool to cold temperatures higher up year-round. Below is the table for the slope observatory, which is at in the alpine zone. The highest recorded temperature was and the lowest was on February 18, 2003 and February 20, 1962, respectively.
Mauna Loa | Climate
The modern monitoring system on Mauna Loa is constituted not only by its locally seismic network but also of a large number of GPS stations, tiltmeters, and strainmeters that have been anchored on the volcano to monitor ground deformation due to swelling in Mauna Loa's subterranean magma chamber, which presents a more complete picture of the events proceeding eruptive activity. The GPS network is the most durable and wide-ranging of the three systems, while the tiltmeters provide the most sensitive predictive data, but are prone to erroneous results unrelated to actual ground deformation; nonetheless a survey line across the caldera measured a increase in its width over the year preceding the 1975 eruption, and a similar increase in 1984 eruption.
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
Trade winds blow from east to west across the Hawaiian islands, and the presence of Mauna Loa strongly affects the local climate. At low elevations, the eastern (windward) side of the volcano receives heavy rain; the city of Hilo is the wettest in the United States. The rainfall supports extensive forestation. The western (leeward) side has a much drier climate. At higher elevations, the amount of precipitation decreases, and skies are very often clear. Very low temperatures mean that precipitation often occurs in the form of snow, and the summit of Mauna Loa is described as a "periglacial" region, where freezing and thawing play a significant role in shaping the landscape.
Mauna Loa | Climate
Strainmeters, by contrast, are relatively rare. The Observatory also maintains two gas detectors at Mokuʻāweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, as well as a publicly accessible live webcam and occasional screenings by interferometric synthetic aperture radar imaging.
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
Eruptions on Mauna Loa are almost always preceded and accompanied by prolonged episodes of seismic activity, the monitoring of which was the primary and often only warning mechanism in the past and which remains viable today. Seismic stations have been maintained on Hawaiʻi since the Observatory's inception, but these were concentrated primarily on Kīlauea, with coverage on Mauna Loa improving only slowly through the 20th century. Following the invention of modern monitoring equipment, the backbone of the present-day monitoring system was installed on the volcano in the 1970s. Mauna Loa's July 1975 eruption was forewarned by more than a year of seismic unrest, with the HVO issuing warnings to the general public from late 1974; the 1984 eruption was similarly preceded by as much as three years of unusually high seismic activity, with volcanologists predicting an eruption within two years in 1983.
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
The location of Mauna Loa has made it an important location for atmospheric monitoring by the Global Atmosphere Watch and other scientific observations. The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO), located at on the northern slope of the mountain, has long been prominent in observations of the Sun. The NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is located close by. From its location well above local human-generated influences, the MLO monitors the global atmosphere, including the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Measurements are adjusted to account for local outgassing of CO from the volcano. The Yuan-Tseh Lee Array for Microwave Background Anisotropy (AMiBA) sits at an elevation of .
Mauna Loa | Observatories
Established on Kīlauea in 1912, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), presently a branch of the United States Geological Survey, is the primary organization associated with the monitoring, observance, and study of Hawaiian volcanoes. Thomas A. Jaggar, the observatory's founder, attempted a summit expedition to Mauna Loa to observe its 1914 eruption, but was rebuffed by the arduous trek required (see Ascents). After soliciting help from Lorrin A. Thurston, in 1915 he was able to persuade the US Army to construct a "simple route to the summit" for public and scientific use, a project completed in December of that year; the Observatory has maintained a presence on the volcano ever since.
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
In 1957–1958, the International Geophysical Year, Keeling obtained funding from the Weather Bureau to install infrared gas analyzers at remote locations, including the South Pole and on the volcano of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii. Mauna Loa was chosen as a long-term monitoring site due to its remote location far from continents and its lack of vegetation. Keeling and his collaborators measured the incoming ocean breeze above the thermal inversion layer to minimize local contamination from volcanic vents. The data were normalized to remove any influence from local contamination. Due to funding cuts in the mid-1960s, Keeling was forced to abandon continuous monitoring efforts at the South Pole, but he scraped together enough money to maintain operations at the Mauna Loa Observatory, which have continued to the present day.
Keeling Curve | Mauna Loa measurements
At 1:25 a.m., a military satellite recorded a strong infrared signal from the summit of Mauna Loa, indicating that the eruption was underway. Within just a few minutes, people throughout Hawaii island were reporting an intense red glow above the volcano. Eruptive fissures migrated rapidly down the southwest rift zone to the elevation and across the southern half of Moku‘āweoweo (flow A on map). By 4:00 a.m., lava fountains extended across the northeast half of Moku‘āweoweo and into the upper reaches of the northeast rift zone (flow B on map). At 10:30 a.m., intense steam emissions began along a fracture long farther down the northeast rift zone between the elevation, but no eruptive fissure formed in this area.
1984 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Mauna Loa is a typical shield volcano in form, taking the shape of a long, broad dome extending down to the ocean floor whose slopes are about 12° at their steepest, a consequence of its extremely fluid lava. The shield-stage lavas that built the enormous main mass of the mountain are tholeiitic basalts, like those of Mauna Kea, created through the mixing of primary magma and subducted oceanic crust. Mauna Loa's summit hosts three overlapping pit craters arranged northeast-southwest, the first and last roughly in diameter and the second an oblong feature; together these three craters make up the summit caldera Mokuʻāweoweo, so named for the Hawaiian ʻāweoweo fish ("Priacanthus meeki"), purportedly due to the resemblance of its eruptive fires to the coloration of the fish.
Mauna Loa | Structure
By mid-afternoon, eruptive activity began to decrease at the uppermost vents between . At 4:41 p.m., a new fissure opened up at the elevation. This fissure rapidly migrated both uprift and downrift, so that by 6:30 p.m., a line of lava fountains slightly longer than was active. Eventually the fissure system condensed to four centers of activity with fountains up to 50 m (165 ft) high. Four parallel flows (flows D on map) moved down the northeast flank at speeds as fast as per hour. All vents uprift from these new ones quickly became inactive and the eruptive activity was confined to these vents for the next three weeks.
1984 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Mauna Kea has an alpine climate. Due to the influence of its tropical latitude, temperature swings are very low in spite of its high elevation. Frosts are common year round, but the average monthly temperature remains above freezing throughout the year. Snow may fall at an altitude of and above in any month, but occurs most often from October to April. A weather station was operated from 1972 to 1982; however, only 33 months within this period have temperature records; many months have data for only two years. The temperatures presented below are smoothed averages, not the raw numbers recorded by NOAA.
Mauna Kea | Climate
The highest levels are encountered on the east slopes of the volcano. The rain is practically absent in the summer, can also be very high during the autumn – winter period.
Etna DOC | Climate
The volcano is monitored by a team of scientists at the Goma Volcanic Observatory. It is monitored 24/7 365 days a year with seismic data produced every four minutes and temperature data produced every ten minutes.
Mount Nyiragongo | Monitoring
Lava flows were rapidly advancing to the west and southwest from the southwest rift zone vents. The eruptive fissures extended rapidly northeastward, across North Pit, and into the upper northeast rift zone at 02:25 HST. At 02:45 HST lava from the North Pit vents began cascading into another summit pit crater, Lua Poholo. By 03:15 HST, the lava fountains on the southwest rift zone and within Moku‘āweoweo were waning, and the lava flows moving to the west and southwest had stagnated. Fountains continued to migrate eastward along the northeast rift zone, but by dawn eruptive activity was largely restricted to echelon vents near the northeast rift zone at elevation.
1975 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
In late 2012 the mountain became quite active, spewing volcanic ash. In November 2012, and continuing into 2013, a 3 km exclusion zone was set up and residents living around the mountain were evacuated or moved to Maumere city on the main island of Flores. In the first 8 months of 2013 there was regular activity from the lava dome including repeated ash plumes – generally reaching altitudes of 2–3 km – dome collapses, explosions, avalanches and pyroclastic flows.
Paluweh | 2012–2013
At 23:42 HST, a small glow was noted above the southwest end of Moku‘āweoweo. Within one minute the glow extended across the entire summit area and a fume cloud more than high was illuminated with a bright orange-red glow from the unseen lava fountains on the caldera floor. A light airplane with two HVO staff members aboard reached the summit area on July 6 at 01:48 HST; a line of lava fountains high crossed the entire floor of Moku‘āweoweo at this time and extended about down the southwest rift zone. Lava cascades high were pouring into three pit craters on the upper southwest rift zone.
1975 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Data obtained from the Global Volcanism Program website.
List of Mauna Loa eruptions | Historically-observed eruptions
The flanks of the volcano do not pose a lower threat to the population than the area near the rift zones because the distance is short and the slopes are steep; lava poses as much of a threat as it does near its source. Since 1991, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has maintained a seismic recording station east of Hualālai's summit to monitor the volcano. During this time, not a single earthquake swarm or harmonic tremor, indicative of activity at the volcano, has occurred. Although Hualālai does experience several magnitude-4 earthquakes per year, these are attributed to a deep source off the coast of the north-western rift zone and are not related to the movement of magma.
Hualālai | Future monitoring
Data obtained from the Global Volcanism Program website.
List of Mauna Loa eruptions | Radiocarbon-dated eruptions
Similarly after the 1994 eruption, the Plawangan post and equipment were moved into Kaliurang as a response to the threat of danger to the volcanological personnel at the higher point. This volcano is monitored by the Deep Earth Carbon Degassing Project. The eruption of 1930 was found to have been preceded by a large earthquake swarm. The network of 8 seismographs currently around the volcano allow volcanologists to accurately pinpoint the hypocentres of tremors and quakes. A zone in which no quakes originate is found about 1.5 km below the summit, and is thought to be the location of the magma reservoir which feeds the eruptions.
Mount Merapi | Monitoring
Laguna del Maule lies at the interface between a semi-arid, temperate climate and a colder montane climate. Average yearly temperatures from 2007 to 2013 ranged from . Precipitation related to cold fronts falls during autumn and winter, although occasional summer storms also contribute to rainfall. Laguna del Maule is subject to the rain shadow effect of mountains farther west, which is why the numerous summits more than high around the lake are not glaciated. Most of the lake water comes from snowmelt; for much of the year the landscape around the lake is covered with snow. The area of Laguna del Maule was glaciated during the last ice age, with a glacial maximum occurring between and years ago.
Laguna del Maule (volcano) | Climate and vegetation
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park covers the summit and the southeastern flank of the volcano, and also incorporates Kīlauea, a separate volcano.
Mauna Loa | Introduction
Between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago, activity was more intense than it is today. However, Mauna Loa's overall rate of growth has probably begun to slow over the last 100,000 years, and the volcano may in fact be nearing the end of its tholeiitic basalt shield-building phase.
Mauna Loa | Prehistoric eruptions
Made up of various USGS offices such as the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), responsible for monitoring Mount St. Helens, the team has equipment to monitor any volcano, allowing the timely prediction of volcanic eruptions and the evacuation of nearby homes.
Calabozos | Threats and preparedness
Three of the earliest recorded observers of the volcanoes were the Scottish scientists Archibald Menzies in 1794, James Macrae in 1825, and David Douglas in 1834. Just reaching the summits proved daunting: Menzies took three attempts to ascend Mauna Loa, and Douglas died on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The United States Exploring Expedition spent several months studying the islands in 1840–1841. American geologist James Dwight Dana was on that expedition, as was Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, who spent most of the time leading a team of hundreds that hauled a pendulum to the summit of Mauna Loa to measure gravity.
Hawaii hotspot | Modern studies
The hardiness zone is 11a.
Volcano, Hawaii | Geography and climate
Glicken monitored the volcano for two weeks, taking shelter in a trailer at the Coldwater II site located a little more than northwest of the volcano. On May 18, 1980, after working for six days straight, Glicken took the day off to attend an interview for his graduate work with his professor, Richard V. Fisher, in Mammoth, California. His research adviser and mentor David A. Johnston replaced him at his post, despite expressing concerns about its safety given indications of mobile magma within the volcano. After a magnitude 5.1 earthquake centered directly below the north slope triggered that part of the volcano to slide at 8:32 a.m., Mount St.
Harry Glicken | Early work
This volcano is monitored by the Deep Earth Carbon Degassing Project. At most times the volcanic activity is limited to steaming fumaroles and boiling mud.
Whakaari / White Island | Volcanology
No recent eruptions of the volcano have caused fatalities, but eruptions in 1926 and 1950 destroyed villages, and the city of Hilo is partly built on lava flows from the late 19th century. Because of the potential hazards it poses to population centers, Mauna Loa is part of the Decade Volcanoes program, which encourages studies of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. Mauna Loa has been monitored intensively by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory since 1912. Observations of the atmosphere are undertaken at the Mauna Loa Observatory, and of the Sun at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, both located near the mountain's summit.
Mauna Loa | Introduction
The volcano is monitored by the Colima Volcano Observatory at the University of Colima, Mexico. A team analyzes, interprets and communicates every event that occurs at this volcano. In 2018, a webcam was installed close to the volcano, and volcanic activity can be seen in real-time.
Volcán de Colima | Volcanological center
The region has a dry tropical climate, with precipitation on Yucamane amounting to about . Most of it falls during the summer months, and the amount of precipitation decreases southwestward towards the coast and away from the mountains. After precipitation events the mountain is sometimes covered with snow. Average temperatures in the region vary between throughout the year. Vegetation around the volcano includes a humid tundra with overall low vegetation density on its upper slopes, and paramo and montane steppe vegetation east/west and south of the volcano on its lower slopes, respectively. Quenoa woods have been observed on its flanks, which are otherwise covered by pastures lower on the volcano.
Yucamane | Climate and natural features
There are compositional trends in the region of the volcanic arc between 33° and 42°, with more northerly volcanoes being more andesitic in composition while to the south basalts are more frequent.
Laguna del Maule (volcano) | Composition of erupted rocks
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is an agency of the U.S. Geological Survey, with temporary offices located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. The former volcano observatory clifftop facility and HVO offices, closed due to structural damage in 2018, is located at Uwekahuna Bluff on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera. The observatory staff and equipment monitors four active Hawaiian volcanoes: Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. Because Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are significantly more active than Hualālai and Haleakalā, much of the observatory's research is concentrated on the former two mountains. HVO has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the study of active volcanism.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Introduction
Mauna Loa is the largest subaerial and second largest overall volcano in the world (behind Tamu Massif), covering a land area of and spans a maximum width of . Consisting of approximately of solid rock, it makes up more than half of the surface area of the island of Hawaiʻi. Combining the volcano's extensive submarine flanks ( to the sea floor) and subaerial height, Mauna Loa rises from base to summit, greater than the elevation of Mount Everest from sea level to its summit. In addition, much of the mountain is invisible even underwater: its mass depresses the crust beneath it by another , in the shape of an inverse mountain, meaning the total height of Mauna Loa from the start of its eruptive history is about .
Mauna Loa | Structure
Studies of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are also conducted at MLSO. A number of non-solar astronomical observatories are located at the site. The MLSO instruments record images of the solar disk and limb every 3 minutes for 3–10 hours daily starting at 17:00 UT, weather permitting.
Mauna Loa Solar Observatory | Introduction
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano. Each observatory provides continuous and periodic monitoring of the seismicity, other geophysical changes, ground movements, volcanic gas chemistry, and hydrologic conditions and activity between and during eruptions. They also provide a detailed record of eruptions in progress.
Volcano observatory | Introduction
Since 1958, initially under the direction of Charles Keeling, followed by his son Ralph and later Elmer Robinson, Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) has been monitoring and collecting data relating to atmospheric change, and is known especially for the continuous monitoring of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO), which is sometimes referred to as the Keeling Curve. The observatory is under the Earth System Research Laboratory which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). According to the NOAA, Mauna Loa is the world's oldest continuous CO monitoring station, and the world's primary benchmark site for measurement of the gas. The latest observation of CO concentrations from MLO can be found at web sites along with data from other sites and trends at Mauna Loa.
Mauna Loa Observatory | The observatory
Because of the volcano's remote location, much information on its activity comes from remote sensing. In addition, occasional reconnaissance flights, seismographic monitoring, and infrequent visits to the volcano occur. The Observatorio Volcanológico de los Andes del Sur in Temuco also employs webcams to watch Lascar. Lascar's activity has been monitored by Thematic Mapper, which has been used to monitor volcanic activity since 1985, when hot spots were observed on Lascar. The eruptions of April 1993 and September 1986 were both preceded by a reduction of thermal radiation observed by Thematic Mapper. Seismic activity occurs at Lascar. Research has indicated peculiar patterns, including so called "rapid-fire" events on a background of continuous activity, as well as the occurrence of long-period earthquakes; here and in other volcanoes, this kind of seismic activity is associated with intense fumarolic activity that occurs in the absence of outright eruptions.
Lascar (volcano) | Monitoring and threats
Mauna Loa ( or ; Hawaiian: ; ) is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano in both mass and volume, Mauna Loa has historically been considered the largest volcano on Earth, dwarfed only by Tamu Massif. It is an active shield volcano with relatively gentle slopes, with a volume estimated at approximately , although its peak is about lower than that of its neighbor, Mauna Kea. Lava eruptions from Mauna Loa are silica-poor and very fluid, and they tend to be non-explosive.
Mauna Loa | Introduction
Mount Merapi is the site of a very active volcano monitoring program. Seismic monitoring began in 1924, with some of the volcano monitoring stations lasting until the present. The Babadan (northwest location), Selo (in the saddle between Merbabu and Merapi), and Plawangan monitoring stations have been updated with equipment over the decades since establishment. During the 1950s and early 1960s some of the stations were starved of equipment and funds, but after the 1970s considerable improvement occurred with the supply of new equipment. Some of the pre-1930 observation posts were destroyed by the 1930 eruption, and newer posts were re-located.
Mount Merapi | Monitoring
In May 2000, an international research team aboard the CSIRO research vessel FRANKLIN fixed the position of the volcano at 8° 59.65'S, 157° 58.23'E. At that time the vent of the volcano was below sea level, but frequent eruptions ejected molten lava up to above sea level, and sulfurous steam plumes up to . The team mapped a roughly conical feature rising from water depth, with the volcano having a basal diameter of about .
Kavachi | Geography
Since then, the volcano has remained active, with a history of effusive and explosive eruptions, including 33 eruptions since the first well-documented eruption in 1843. Although Mauna Loa's activity has been overshadowed in recent years by that of its neighbor Kīlauea, it remains active.
Mauna Loa | Setting
A voluminous a'a flow moved about down the north flank of Mauna Loa and threatened to cut the paved access road and powerlines to the Mauna Loa Observatory. At about 07:15 HST, fountains feeding this a'a flow subsided and it soon stopped about from the observatory road, having traveled . Fountaining continued at greatly diminished levels throughout the day, but ceased by nightfall. Approximately of lava had been erupted and of the Mauna Loa summit area had been covered.
1975 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Modern electronic equipment now monitors earthquakes from several sites, with over 100 remote stations transmitting data 24 hours a day. This information is provided immediately over the Internet, as is live coverage of ongoing eruptions from several webcams accessible from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website (see External links). Another important function of HVO is to monitor the sulphur emissions that produce the volcanic pollution condition known as vog. The observatory advises the park service when to close areas due to this and other volcanic hazards. While the main Observatory building itself was not open to the public, the adjacent Thomas A.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Present day operations
During this time a -wide ice cap covered the volcano and the surrounding valleys. Probably due to changes in the position of the Westerlies, after 23,000years ago the glaciers retreated above Laguna del Maule. The glaciation has left moraines and terraces in the area, with undulating hills lying close to the outlet of the lake. Poorly developed moraines with the appearance of tiny hills lie downstream of Laguna del Maule, and form small hills around the lake rising about above the lake level. Other climate changes in the Holocene such as the Little Ice Age are recorded from sediments in Laguna del Maule, such as a humid period in the 15th to 19th centuries.
Laguna del Maule (volcano) | Climate and vegetation
Six large vent structures eventually formed in this area around the active vents. By daybreak on March 26, these vents were feeding lava to a fast-moving flow (flow E on map) that had advanced to the northeast and three less active, shorter flows (flows D on map) that were advancing east toward Kulani Prison. The prison was put on alert because the shorter lava flows were as close as to the prison. These flows, however, stopped advancing within 48 hours and never crossed the Powerline Road. The fast-moving flow (flow E on map) advanced as a relatively narrow, channelized ‘a‘ā lava flow.
1984 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Three telemetric units are installed on Mayon's slopes, which send information to the seven seismometers in different locations around the volcano. These instruments relay data to the Ligñon Hill observatory and the PHIVOLCS central headquarters on the University of the Philippines Diliman campus. PHIVOLCS also deploys electronic distance meters (EDMs), precise leveling benchmarks, and portable fly spectrometers to monitor the volcano's daily activity.
Mayon | Monitoring
The climate on the northeast facing slope of the volcano sees substantial rainfall in the summer months. Located at 13.9 N, 89.6 W, altitude : 1770 m, the climate is classified as a subtropical highland climate (Köppen "Cwb").
Santa Ana Volcano | Climate
Many USGS scientists worked on the team monitoring the volcano, but it was graduate student Harry Glicken who had been manning the Coldwater II observation post for the two and a half weeks immediately preceding the eruption. The evening before the eruption he was scheduled to be relieved by USGS geologist Don Swanson, but something came up, and Swanson asked Johnston to take his place. Johnston agreed. That Saturday, the day before the eruption took place, Johnston ascended the mountain and went on a patrol of the volcano with geologist Carolyn Driedger. Tremors shook the mountain. Driedger was supposed to camp on one of the ridges overlooking the volcano that night, but Johnston told her to head home and said that he would stay on the volcano alone.
David A. Johnston | USGS team and rescue efforts
The two plumes observed emanate from the northern and southern ends of this new flow. Fallout from the two volcanic plumes produced a two-lobed dark deposit around the new lava flow, similar to the deposit seen during the "Voyager" encounters. "New Horizons" images also highlighted the fact that the visibility of the older, 500-km long flow varies depending on the phase angle of the observation. Phase angle is the angle between the observer, Io, and the Sun. Io appears "full" at low phase angles near 0°, "half-full" at moderate phase angles near 90°, and crescent shaped at high phase angles approaching 180°.
Masubi (volcano) | Observations by "New Horizons"
Studies have shown that a cycle occurs in which volcanic activity at the summit is dominant for several hundred years, after which activity shifts to the rift zones for several more centuries, and then back to the summit again. Two cycles have been clearly identified, each lasting 1,500–2,000 years. This cyclical behavior is unique to Mauna Loa among the Hawaiian volcanoes. Between about 7,000 and 6,000 years ago Mauna Loa was largely inactive. The cause of this cessation in activity is not known, and no known similar hiatus has been found at other Hawaiian volcanoes except for those currently in the post-shield stage.
Mauna Loa | Prehistoric eruptions
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Lassen Volcanic National Park has a Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer Humid continental climate ("Dsb"). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Plant Hardiness zone at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at elevation is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of . Since the entire park is located at medium to high elevations, the park generally has cool-cold winters and warm summers below . Above this elevation, the climate is harsh and cold, with cool summer temperatures. Precipitation within the park is high to very high due to a lack of a rain shadow from the Coast Ranges.
Lassen Volcanic National Park | Climate
The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System is a U.S. federal program within the U.S. Geological Survey for monitoring volcano activity and providing early warning to threatened areas. It was authorized by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act on March 12, 2019.
National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System | Introduction
No unusual activity was noted on the Mauna Loa seismograms during the early evening of July 5; seismicity was at relatively low levels. At 23:18 HST, however, seismic alarms, signifying prolonged high-amplitude volcanic tremor, were activated in homes of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff. The tremor had been first recorded by three seismometers near Moku‘āweoweo at 22:51 HST. Staff reached HVO at 23:30 HST and saw that harmonic tremor was being recorded on all Mauna Loa and Kīlauea seismographs. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and civil defense authorities were alerted to the imminent probability of a Mauna Loa eruption.
1975 eruption of Mauna Loa | Precursors
The summit of Mauna Kea is so high that tourists are advised to stop at the visitor station for at least 30 minutes to acclimate to atmospheric conditions before continuing to the summit, and scientists often stay at Hale Pōhaku for eight hours or more before spending a full night at observatories on the summit, with some telescopes requiring observers to spend one full night at Hale Pōhaku before working at the summit.
Mauna Kea Observatories | Location
A short-term monitoring (seismic and visuals) surveys were conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in 1993 and in 1997 on the mountain. No unusual activities were observed within the vicinity of the volcano.
Bud Dajo | PHIVOLCS monitoring activity
The climate is tropical, typical of medium elevations, with the dry period of the year occurring between July and October and the wet period occurring between November and March. The average elevation is above sea level.
Paraúna | Climate
Mauna Loa is a volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Loa may also refer to:
Mauna Loa (disambiguation) | Introduction
This is not always the case; the 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa started during an eruption at Kīlauea, but had no discernible effect on the Kīlauea eruption, and the ongoing inflation of Mauna Loa's summit, indicative of a future eruption, began the same day as new lava flows at Kīlauea's Puu Ōō crater. In 2002, Kilauea experienced a high-volume effusive episode at the same time that Mauna Loa began inflating. This unexpected communication is evidence of crustal-level interactions between Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, even though these two volcanoes are thought to be fairly independent of each other. Geologists have suggested that "pulses" of magma entering Mauna Loa's deeper magma system may have increased pressure inside Kīlauea and triggered the concurrent eruptions.
Kīlauea | Structure
Historical eruptions at Mauna Loa are typically Hawaiian in character and rarely violent, starting with the emergence of lava fountains over a several kilometer long rift colloquially known as the "curtain of fire" (often, but not always, propagating from Mauna Loa's summit) and eventually concentrating at a single vent, its long-term eruptive center. Activity centered on its summit are usually followed by flank eruptions up to a few months distant, and although Mauna Loa is historically less active than that of its neighbor Kilauea, it tends to produce greater volumes of lava over shorter periods of time. Most eruptions are centered at either the summit or either of its two major rift zones; within the last two hundred years, 38 percent of eruptions occurred at the summit, 31 percent at the northeast rift zone, 25 percent at the southwest rift zone, and the remaining 6 percent from northwest vents.
Mauna Loa | Recent history
It is even more poorly known than "N. wekiuicola", but appears to be in less danger since the summit of Mauna Loa is not under threat of development. Although it receives a large number of hikers, the area is largely made up of rocky lava rather than loose cinder, and is less vulnerable to human influence.
Nysius wekiuicola | Conservation
The agency set up four Volcanic Observations and Information Centers within DMOs in Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo and Fukuoka. They are monitoring volcanic events on 110 active volcanos in Japan and 47 of these volcanos selected by the Coordinating Committee for Prediction of Volcanic Eruption are under the 24-hour observation with seismographs, accelerometers, GPS, air-shock recorders, fixed point observation cameras and other equipment. If it is predicted that a volcanic eruption will affect inhabited areas or are around a crater, Volcanic Warnings are issued and supplemented by Volcanic Alert Levels.
Japan Meteorological Agency | Volcanoes
The MLO levels can be compared with other sites in the global monitoring network. MLO has activities at five locations on the Big Island. The primary observing site is located at the level on Mauna Loa's north slope () about north of the summit Mokuaweoweo. The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory shares this site. The administration and some data processing are done in the Hilo, Hawaii office. Kulani Mauka is a rain collection site. Cape Kumukahi is a flask sample site located on the easternmost point of Hawaii. At the Hilo airport, weekly balloon-borne instruments are prepared and launched to measure ozone from the surface to usually over 30 km.
Mauna Loa Observatory | The observatory
Unlike many other volcanoes, the largest hazard from Taveuni is actually its lava flows, which are exceptionally hot (940-1125 degrees Celsius). Because Taveuni is heavily forested, fires can spread fast and easily, but mainly the southern flank of the island will be directly affected by the lava.
Mount Taveuni | Lava Flows
Mauna Kea ( or , ) is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii. Most of the volcano is underwater, and when measured from its underwater base, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world, measuring in height. Mauna Kea is about a million years old, and has thus passed the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago. In its current post-shield state, its lava is more viscous, resulting in a steeper profile. Late volcanism has also given it a much rougher appearance than its neighboring volcanoes due to construction of cinder cones, decentralization of its rift zones, glaciation on its peak, and weathering by the prevailing trade winds.
Mauna Kea | Introduction
Sapas is named after the Canaanite sun goddess. It measures about across and high. Its flanks show numerous overlapping lava flows. The dark flows on the lower right of the radar image are thought to be smoother than the brighter ones near the central part of the volcano. Many of the flows appear to have been erupted along the flanks of the volcano rather than from the double summit. This type of flank eruption is common on large volcanoes on Earth, such as the Hawaiian volcanoes. The summit area has two flat-topped mesas, whose smooth tops give a relatively dark appearance in the radar image.
Sapas Mons | Description
Mauna Kea can be ecologically divided into three sections: an alpine climate at its summit, a "Sophora chrysophylla"–"Myoporum sandwicense" (or māmane–naio) forest on its flanks, and an "Acacia koa"–"Metrosideros polymorpha" (or koa–ōhia) forest, now mostly cleared by the former sugar industry, at its base. In recent years, concern over the vulnerability of the native species has led to court cases that have forced the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to eradicate all feral species on the volcano. With its high elevation, dry environment, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation.
Mauna Kea | Introduction
As deepening and widening of the ice cauldrons eg. at Katla volcano, and esp. in combination with increased seismic activity at the sites, are interpreted as signs of magma inflow, the cauldrons are closely monitored.
Ice cauldron | Ice cauldrons and volcano monitoring
The 1975 eruption of Mauna Loa was a short-lived Hawaiian eruption that followed 25 years of quiescence at the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa. The eruption began just before midnight on July 5 and involved fissures extending across the length of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, and into the upper ends of the volcano's northeast and southwest rift zones. After only 6 hours, activity in Moku‘āweoweo and on the southwest rift zone ended, but lava fountaining continued along the northeast rift zone until 7:30 p.m. on July 6, when all activity ceased.
1975 eruption of Mauna Loa | Introduction
They are generally too small to be felt by people, but the existing network of seismographs has been established to monitor tectonic earthquakes. However, the seismograph network is too far away to provide a good indication of what is happening under the mountain. It may sense an increase in seismic activity if the volcano becomes very restless, but this may only provide a warning for a significant eruption. It might detect activity only once the volcano has started erupting.
Heart Peaks | Monitoring
Keeling's Tellus article of 1960 presented the first monthly records from Mauna Loa and Antarctica (1957 to 1960), finding a "distinct seasonal cycle...and possibly, a worldwide rise in from year to year." By the 1970s, it was well established that the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide was ongoing and due to anthropogenic emissions. Carbon dioxide measurements at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii are made with a type of infrared spectrophotometer, now known as a nondispersive infrared sensor, that is calibrated using World Meteorological Organization standards. This type of instrument, originally called a capnograph, was first invented by John Tyndall in 1864, and recorded by pen traces on a strip chart recorder.
Keeling Curve | Mauna Loa measurements
On May 9, 2013, the daily mean concentration of in the atmosphere measured at Mauna Loa surpassed 400 parts per million (ppmv). Estimates of during previous geologic eras suggest that has not reached this level since the mid-Pliocene, 2 to 4 million years ago.
Keeling Curve | Passing 400 ppm in 2013
These rift zones are deeply set structures, driven by dike intrusions along a decollement fault that is believed to reach down all the way to the volcano's base, deep. The first is a rift trending southwest from the caldera to the sea and a further underwater, with a prominent 40° directional change along its length; this rift zone is historically active across most of its length. The second, northeastern rift zone extends towards Hilo and is historically active across only the first of its length, with a nearly straight and, in its latter sections, poorly defined trend. The northeastern rift zone takes the form of a succession of cinder cones, the most prominent of which the high Puu Ulaula, or Red Hill.
Mauna Loa | Structure
Its rate of advance slowed as it moved downslope, but by March 29 the flow had moved to an elevation of . At this time, the flow front was about from the outskirts of Hilo. Smoke from burning vegetation, loud explosions caused by methane gas along the advancing flow front and the intense glow at night all contributed to a growing concern among Hilo's residents.
1984 eruption of Mauna Loa | Eruption
Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) is a solar observatory located on the slopes of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is operated by the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), a laboratory within the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The MLSO sits on property managed by the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). MLSO was built in 1965. The MLSO is tasked with monitoring the solar atmosphere and recording data on plasmic and energetic emissions from the chromosphere and corona.
Mauna Loa Solar Observatory | Introduction
The volcano was born upon an eruption that started on 10 October 2011, at a location 1.8 km to the south of the island of El Hierro, more specifically the settlement of La Restinga. From an initial height of 355 m below sea level, the volcano reached a maximum height of about 88 m below sea level as reported in February 2012. During the eruptive stage the volcano emitted amounts of magma, gases and heat, substantially altering the environment of the maritime area.
Tagoro | Eruption
Mokuʻāweoweo's caldera floor lies between beneath its rim and it is only the latest of several calderas that have formed and reformed over the volcano's life. It was created between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago by a large eruption from Mauna Loa's northeast rift zone, which emptied out a shallow magma chamber beneath the summit and collapsed it into its present form. Additionally, two smaller pit craters lie southwest of the caldera, named Lua Hou (New Pit) and Lua Hohonu (Deep Pit). Mauna Loa's summit is also the focal point for its two prominent rift zones, marked on the surface by well-preserved, relatively recent lava flows (easily seen in satellite imagery) and linearly arranged fracture lines intersected by cinder and splatter cones.
Mauna Loa | Structure
The 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa was a Hawaiian eruption in the U.S. state of Hawaii that lasted from March 25 to April 15, 1984. It ended a 9-year period of quiescence at the volcano and continued for 22 days, during which time lava flows and lava fountains issued from the summit caldera and fissures along the northeast and southwest rift zones. Although the lava threatened Hilo, the flow stopped before reaching the outskirts of town.
1984 eruption of Mauna Loa | Introduction
Hualālai is expected to erupt again in the near future, as a 200- to 300-year estimated pause in activity is coming to an end. This presents a distinct hazard to the communities around it as well; for example, in the event of an eruption similar to the 1801 event, Kailua-Kona, which is from the volcano's summit, could be covered completely in a matter of hours. According to the USGS lava-flow hazard zones, on a scale of 1 to 9, all of Hualālai is listed as threat level 4. For comparison, almost all of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa is listed as threat levels 1 through 3.
Hualālai | Future monitoring
By 25 October the average grow rate, measured from 6 EDM points over 24–25 October had risen to per day. The information gathered at the site indicated that the distension of the mountain's slopes was much more rapid this during the current event than that observed during the 2006 event.
2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi | Lava dome deformation
Birdwatching is also common at lower levels on the mountain. A popular site is "Kīpuka Puu Huluhulu", a kīpuka on Mauna Kea's flank that formed when lava flows isolated the forest on a hill. Mauna Kea's great height and the steepness of its flanks provide a better view and a shorter hike than the adjacent Mauna Loa. The height with its risk of altitude sickness, weather concerns, steep road grade, and overall inaccessibility make the volcano dangerous and summit trips difficult. Until the construction of roads in the mid-20th century, only the hardy visited Mauna Kea's upper slopes; hunters tracked game animals, and hikers traveled up the mountain.
Mauna Kea | Recreation
The park includes of land. Over half of the park () was designated the Hawaii Volcanoes Wilderness area in 1978, providing solitude for hiking and camping. Wilderness designation covers the northwestern extension of the National Park, including Mokuaweoweo, the summit of the volcano Mauna Loa. In the southwestern portion of the park, a large chunk of wilderness includes several miles of coastline and a small portion southeast of the visitors center. The park encompasses diverse environments from sea level to the summit of the Earth's most massive active volcano, Mauna Loa, at . Climates range from lush tropical rain forests, to the arid and barren Kaū Desert.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Environment
The Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is an atmospheric baseline station on Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii, located in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Mauna Loa Observatory | Introduction
The volcanic eruption of 1996 and the creation of Pele's Pit changed this, and initiated high temperature venting; exit temperatures were measured at 77 °C in 1996.
Lōʻihi Seamount | Hydrothermal vent geochemistry
Mauna Loa has been designated a Decade Volcano, one of the sixteen volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. The United States Geological Survey maintains a hazard zone mapping of the island done on a one to nine scale, with the most dangerous areas corresponding the smallest numbers. Based on this classification Mauna Loa's continuously active summit caldera and rift zones have been given a level one designation. Much of the area immediately surrounding the rift zones is considered level two, and about 20 percent of the area has been covered in lava in historical times.
Mauna Loa | Hazards
The most recent dates for eruptions are ages of , and for rhyolitic lava flows, with the last eruption forming the flow. No eruptions have occurred during historical time, but petroglyphs in Valle Hermoso may depict volcanic activity at Laguna del Maule. Laguna del Maule is geothermally active, featuring bubbling pools, fumaroles and hot springs. Temperatures in these systems range between but there is no degassing at the surface. The Baños Campanario hydrothermal springs lie northwest from Laguna del Maule and their waters together with these from the Termas del Medano springs appear to form through a mixing of magmatic and precipitation water.
Laguna del Maule (volcano) | Most recent activity and geothermal system
Today, the Alaska Volcano Observatory monitors activity at Mount Cleveland using satellite imagery. Cloud cover often obscures the volcano, which makes many events difficult to follow. In addition, the low resolution of the satellite imagery allows minor events, which do not make an impression on the satellite picture, to pass unnoticed. There are no seismic or geophysical instruments on the mountain (the nearest are in Nikolski), and some eruptions are first observed by pilots flying over the volcano. A field study was conducted in late 2001, and an automatic system based on thermal anomalies was implemented following eruptive events in 2005.
Mount Cleveland (Alaska) | Monitoring
The resulting debris-avalanche deposit covers an eighty km area to the northeast, although much of soils all around contain volcanic residues. The last known eruption occurred about 700 years ago, but there is still a possibility of it reactivating and should be monitored. The volcano is part of an ecological reserve as part of the Isidro Fabela State Park. On the road that leads up the volcano, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary. This road leads to a lookout point at the top, which allows for a view of about forty km in all directions. Visible from the valley floor are the radio and television transmission towers that are at the top.
Jocotitlán | Geography and environment
The end of glaciation may have accompanied an increase in volcanic activity, a phenomenon that has been noted at other volcanoes. 8,500 years ago, the climate in the region became much drier, and the amount of erosion decreased substantially. Temperatures in the surrounding region range between . Measurements made on the southwest rim of the main crater in 2009–2012 indicated air temperatures of . The present-day snowline in the region lies at an altitude of , higher than the summit of Lascar.
Lascar (volcano) | Climate and biota
Similar activity on the northern side of Cloudcap and the eastern segment of Llao Rock that ejected dacitic tephra and pyroclastic rock also formed fused edifices. About 50,000 years ago, a vent at Mazama erupted the Watchman flow, which filled a canyon at the southwestern wall of the complex. From 50,000 to 40,000 years ago, Mazama vents continued to erupt andesite lava flows onto the northern and southwestern slopes and create dacite lava domes on the southern flanks. These domes often collapsed and produced pyroclastic flows that coursed down the southern slope of the volcano, forming deposits up to Devil's Backbone, a craggy volcanic dike that was exhumed when the volcano collapsed.
Mount Mazama | Early activity
She has worked with all the US volcano observatories and served on the scientific advisory committee for the island of Montserrat. Her research uses a combination of volcanology, igneous petrology, kinetics, microscopy and fluid dynamics with a focus on mafic volcanoes. This includes channel development in Hawaiian lava flows and volcanic ash formation in eruptions. She also has interests in intermediate composition and silicic volcanoes, particularly at Mount St. Helens.
Katharine Cashman | Career and research
Lonquimay Volcano is a stratovolcano of late-Pleistocene to dominantly Holocene age, with the shape of a truncated cone. The cone is largely andesitic, though basaltic and dacitic rocks are present. It is located in the La Araucanía Region of Chile, immediately SE of Tolhuaca volcano. Sierra Nevada and Llaima are their neighbors to the south. The snow-capped volcano lies within the protected area Malalcahuello-Nalcas. The volcano's last eruption began on December 25, 1988, earning it the nickname "Navidad". The eruption lasted for 13 months before ending in 1990. The Volcanic Explositivy Index was 3, indicating tropospheric injections and catastrophic damage.
Lonquimay (volcano) | Introduction
Volcano is located on the east side of the island of Hawaii, on the border of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and near the northeast rim of Kīlauea's summit caldera. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land. Hawaii Route 11 passes through the southern part of the community, leading northeast to Hilo and southwest to Nāālehu. Owing to its altitude, ranging from below in the southeast to over at its uninhabited northern end, Volcano features a subtropical highland climate (Köppen "Cfb"), with relatively uniform temperatures and abundant rainfall throughout the year, although rainfall is concentrated during the months of November through April.
Volcano, Hawaii | Geography and climate
In the alpine zone, annual precipitation decreases to . The average temperature in the summit area is approximately . Nighttime surface temperatures on the Northern Ice Field (NIF) fall on average to with an average daytime high of . During nights of extreme radiational cooling, the NIF can cool to as low as .
Mount Kilimanjaro | Climate
The landscape around Laguna del Maule is mostly desertic without trees. Vegetation around Laguna del Maule is principally formed by cushion plants and sub-shrubs, with higher altitudes displaying more scattered vegetation. The rocks around Laguna del Maule host a plant named "Leucheria graui" which has not been found elsewhere.
Laguna del Maule (volcano) | Climate and vegetation
One study reported that around a third of visitors and two thirds of professional astronomers working on the mountain have experienced symptoms of acute altitude sickness; visitors traveling up the volcano's flanks are advised to stop for at least half an hour and preferably longer at the visitor center to acclimate to the higher elevation. It is strongly recommended to use a four-wheel drive vehicle to drive all the way to the top. Brakes often overheat on the way down and there is no fuel available on Mauna Kea. A free Star Gazing Program was previously held at the VIS every night from 6-10 pm, with the program canceled due to both a change in operating hours and closure due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Mauna Kea | Recreation
The hot springs in the Natib caldera are Asin, Mamot, Tigulangin, Uyong and Paipit springs. The hot springs have temperatures ranging from 30-56 °C, with low flows, and a neutral to slightly alkaline water discharge. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) lists Mount Natib as a potentially active volcano.
Mount Natib | Volcanic activity
The bulk of information about Lōʻihi comes from dives made in response to the 1996 eruption. In a dive conducted almost immediately after seismic activity was reported, visibility was greatly reduced by high concentrations of displaced minerals and large floating mats of bacteria in the water. The bacteria that feed on the dissolved nutrients had already begun colonizing the new hydrothermal vents at Pele's Pit (formed from the collapse of the old ones), and may be indicators of the kinds of material ejected from the newly formed vents. They were carefully sampled for further analysis in a laboratory. An OBO briefly sat on the summit before a more permanent probe could be installed.
Lōʻihi Seamount | 1996 to present
When it reaches the stratosphere, it turns into sulfuric acid particles, which reflect the sun's rays, further reducing the amount of radiation reaching Earth's surface. A recent study found that an especially massive tropical volcanic eruption in 1257, possibly of the now-extinct Mount Samalas near Mount Rinjani, both in Lombok, Indonesia, followed by three smaller eruptions in 1268, 1275, and 1284 did not allow the climate to recover. This may have caused the initial cooling, and the 1452–53 eruption of Kuwae in Vanuatu triggered a second pulse of cooling. The cold summers can be maintained by sea-ice/ocean feedbacks long after volcanic aerosols are removed.
Little Ice Age | Volcanic activity