[Rockhounds] USGS Cautions that the World’s Largest Volcano Could Eruptw

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is urging people to prepare for the
possibility of an eruption at the world’s largest volcano: Mauna Loa on the
Big Island of Hawaii. In a recent news release, Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory (HVO) scientists with USGS cautioned, “While an eruption of
Mauna Loa is not imminent, now is the time to revisit personal eruption
plans. Similar to preparing for hurricane season, having an eruption plan
in advance helps during an emergency.”

Mauna Loa is considered the largest active volcano on Earth, rising to
13,681 feet above sea level. Mauna Loa rises up from the ocean floor of the
Central Pacific at a depth of about 3 miles. Because of the volcano’s
significant mass, the ocean floor directly beneath Mauna Loa is depressed
by another 5 miles. According to USGS, this places Mauna Loa’s summit about
56,000 feet above its base; the enormous volcano covers half of the island
of Hawaii, also known simply as the “Big Island of Hawaii.”

Mauna Loa eruptions tend to produce voluminous, fast-moving lava flows that
can impact communities on the east and west sides of the Big Island from
Kona to Hilo.  Since the 1850s, Hilo in eastern Hawaii has been threatened
by 7 Mauna Loa lava flows. On the south and west sides of the island, Mauna
Loa lava flows have reached the coast there 8 times: in 1859, 1868, 1887,
1926, 1919, and three times in 1950.

https://weatherboy.com/usgs-cautions-that-the-worlds-largest-volcano-could-erupt/