USGS HVO Press Release — Silver Anniversary of 1984 Mauna Loa Eruption
The 25th anniversary of Mauna Loa's last eruption is tomorrow—Wednesday, March 25.
A look at the volcano's eruption frequency over the past 3,000 years shows that it has erupted, on average, once every 6 years. Given its history, is Mauna Loa due to erupt again?
This question, and more, will be answered during programs held in three Hawai‘i Island communities. Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) and UH-Hilo Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes will be on hand to talk story about the eruptive history and current status of Mauna Loa.
Hawai‘i County Civil Defense officials and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park rangers will also be available to answer questions on public safety and mitigation plans for the next eruption of the volcano.
Two programs are set for this Saturday, March 28. The first is at UH-Hilo from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in UCB100/127. The next is in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates at St. Jude Episcopal Church from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On Saturday, April 4, the program will be repeated in Kealakekua in the Konawaena Elementary School cafeteria from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
These community programs will be informal. Each one begins with a brief introductory presentation, but people can come and go anytime during the two-hour period to talk story and view informative poster displays on Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth.
"Mauna Loa will erupt again, and there's a good chance that it will be during your lifetime," says Frank Trusdell, an HVO geologist who has studied the volcano for nearly two decades. His concerns are that new residents may not be aware that Mauna Loa is an active volcano, and longtime residents may have forgotten the full potential of hazards posed by the volcano.
Trusdell encourages everyone to attend one of the community programs. "Come talk story with us. There's no better time than now to educate yourself about the massive volcano in your backyard," he added.
Daily updates about ongoing eruptions, recent images and videos of summit and East Rift Zone volcanic activity, maps, and data about recent earthquakes in Hawaii are posted on the HVO website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo.
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