World’s Largest Volcano In Hawaii Erupts For 1st Time In 40 Years

Airport officials said no evacuation orders had been given.

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Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, has erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years, US officials said, as emergency crews went on alert early Monday.

Lava flow within Mauna Loa’s summit caldera remained “controlled”, but an eruption could pose a danger to nearby residents, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said on Sunday night (9:45 p.m. local time). Reported at 11:45. GMT Monday) about 15 minutes after the eruption inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

“At this time, the lava flow is contained within the summit area and does not threaten communities below,” the USGS said on its website, noting that residents in the area should review preparedness procedures.

While eruptions on the main island of the remote American state in the Pacific remain confined within the basin at the top of the volcano, called a caldera, “if eruption vents move outside their walls, lava flows can rapidly accelerate downward.” may escalate,” according to the USGS.

Hours later on Monday morning the USGS volcano monitoring office tweeted: “It appears lava has flowed outside the caldera, but for now the eruption is confined to the caldera.”

The agency said the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is consulting with emergency management personnel and that its personnel will conduct an aerial survey of the 13,674-foot (4,168 m) volcano as soon as possible.

Hawaii officials said no evacuation orders had been given, although several roads in the summit area and area were closed.

A USGS webcam on the north rim of the Mauna Loa summit showed long bright explosive fissures within the volcanic crater, a stark contrast to the dark of night.

The Hawaiian Islands are home to six active volcanoes. According to the USGS, Mauna Loa, the largest on Earth, has erupted 33 times since 1843.

The most recent eruption, in 1984, lasted 22 days and produced lava flows that reached about seven kilometers (four miles) east of Hilo, a city that is home to about 44,000 people today.

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