Mauna Loa, the Earth's largest active volcano, towers nearly 3000 m...

(Credit: Griggs, J. D.. Public domain.)

Detailed Description

In recent years Mauna Loa has not erupted with the frequency of Kīlauea, but its 33 historical eruptions have, on average, generated much larger volumes of lava on a daily basis -- more than 10 times the lava output from Kīlauea's current Pu`u`O`o eruption. Lava flows on Mauna Loa tend to travel much longer distances in a shorter period of time than those on Kīlauea. Thus, warnings and notifications in the first few hours of an eruption are critical for public safety.

Details

Image Dimensions: 800 x 361

Date Taken: Thursday, January 10, 1985