After almost 40 years the largest volcano in the world is erupting again

The skies of Hawaii are tinged with red: the largest active volcano in the world, the Mauna Loa, erupted again after 38 years. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has launched an official alert after weeks of signals: between Sunday and Monday the great volcano resumed its activity for the first time since 1984 when the lava touched the city of Hilo.

“At this time, the lava flows are contained within the summit area and are not threatening downstream communities,” the USGS said in collaboration with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. However, the two observation and research centers recall how “based on past events, the early stages of an eruption of Mauna Loa can be very dynamic and the position and progress of the lava flows can change rapidly”.

The agency also warned all Hawaii residents who are “at risk from Mauna Loa’s lava flows” and urged them to follow official bulletins to stay updated and receive future communications.

Soon, as soon as possible, some reconnaissance flights of the area will also take place to understand the seriousness of the situation. Meanwhile, the seismic observatory has recorded several tremors in the region, one with a magnitude of 4.2.

Grand Mauna Loa – which means “long mountain” – takes up more than half of the Big Island of Hawaii and rises 4,169 meters above the Pacific Ocean. The most recent previous eruptions did not cause any victims but in 1926 and 1950 the lava led to the destruction of several villages.

Furthermore, this iconic volcano is famous throughout the world for another reason: due to its particular condition – it is located on an island in the middle of the ocean and boasts a decidedly significant height – it is considered an ideal place for measure CO concentrations₂ globally.

Many of the data with which scientists today warn us of the acceleration of the climate crisis and the continuous increase in CO emissions₂ in fact, they come from the Mauna Loa observatory, whose meteorological station is engaged in monitoring the concentrations of emissions into the atmosphere.