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Science

Tonga volcano eruption continues to astonish

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The expanding eruption plume on 15 January

Scientists have described a massive “magma hammer” they say slammed the underside of the Tonga volcano which erupted so spectacularly in January.

An analysis of seismic waves has revealed four individual events that are interpreted to be thrusts of molten rock beneath the underwater mountain.

Occurring within a five-minute period, each of these blows is calculated to have had a force of a billion tonnes.

It’s a further revelation about the behaviour of Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai.

The seamount produced the biggest atmospheric explosion ever recorded by modern instrumentation – far bigger even than any nuclear bomb test conducted after WWII.

It displaced some 10 cubic km of rock, ash and sediment, much of it exiting through the volcano’s mouth, or caldera, to shoot straight up into the sky, like a “shotgun blast” as one geologist called it.

The Hunga-Tonga caldera is now an 850m deep hole

Scientists have gathered here in Chicago at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting to compare the latest results of their investigations into what happened.

Dr Yingcai Zheng, from the University of Houston, detailed his team’s analysis of the Magnitude 5.8 seismic waves generated just over 10 minutes into the climactic eruption on 15 January.

These signals were picked up at more than 400 monitoring stations around the globe.

Dr Zheng attributes them to a pulse of magma moving up from below the mountain and hitting the base of the caldera.

“I think it could be like a new batch of magma suddenly just reaching into the magma chamber and over-pressurising the chamber,” he said. “The pulse of the magma is travelling up at high speed and it’s like a train hitting the base of the wall. It hammered four times within 300 seconds,” he told BBC News.

Ash from Hunga-Tonga was measured by weather satellites to have travelled 57km above the Earth’s surface, the highest ever recorded volcanic plume. But new data presented at the AGU meeting indicated the disturbance went higher still – all the way to space.

Sensors on US space agency and US Air Force satellites that measure far-ultraviolet radiation from the Sun noticed a strong absorption feature in their data correlated to an altitude above 100km – the so-called Karman Line and the recognised boundary to space.

“If I see an absorber, if I see that hole – that means that something got up above the boundary to space and sucked up those photons that would normally get sent to my sensor,” explained Dr Larry Paxton, from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. “That spot was as big as Montana, or Germany or Japan.”

Dr Paxton can tell from the light signature that the absorber was water vapour, and he can also calculate the mass of water sent into space: somewhere between 20,000 to 200,000 tonnes.

The “hole” (white arrow) in the UV data is explained by the presence of water above 100km

That a submarine volcano should throw so much water into the sky during an eruption is not a surprise. The height to which that water travelled is, however.

This water also clearly played a role in creating the conditions necessary to generate the “greatest concentration of lightning ever detected”, according to Chris Vagasky.

The meteorologist from Vaisala Inc works with a network that detects the radio frequency emissions associated with lightning events. It enables him to locate and count discharges anywhere on the globe.

He told the AGU meeting that Hunga-Tonga’s eruption plume produced 400,000 lightning events on 15 January.

“We were getting lightning rates of up to 5,000 to 5,200 events per minute. That’s an order of magnitude higher than you would see in super-cell thunderstorms – some of the strongest thunderstorms that exist on this planet,” he said.

“And because these rates were so high, we were saturating our sensors. The 400,000 number – that’s actually the floor of the value. We’re working to figure out just how much we missed.”

One remarkable consequence of all this lightning is that it produced a gamma-ray flash detected by a Nasa satellite that normally looks out into the Universe for such high-energy emissions. These would come from far-off black holes or exploding stars, but this was the first time the Fermi spacecraft had caught a flash coming from a volcano on Earth.

Again, it’s testament to the extreme nature of the Hunga-Tonga eruption.

Graphic with a map of Tonga and a satellite image showing the extent of the ash cloud shortly after the eruption.

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Science

Tonga volcano eruption blasted millions of tons of water into space

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The eruption of the Hunga Tonga undersea volcano in the Pacific Ocean early this year was so powerful that it sent a massive plume of water vapor into space, according to research released Monday. A volcano launching water beyond the atmosphere had never before been observed by scientists. The research underscores the unusually violent nature of the eruption — and highlights the broader risks from undersea volcanoes.

Satellite observations show that the Jan. 15 eruption propelled water vapor 93 miles off the surface of the planet, well past the generally accepted boundary of space at 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles, according to one of the studies being presented in Chicago at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

The eruption sent as much as 4 million metric tons of water vapor into space, according to Larry Paxton, a scientist at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.

“This is really a unique event,” Paxton said. “In the 20 years we’ve been making observations, we’ve seen nothing like this.”

The event grabbed the attention of scientists who use satellites to monitor “space weather.” Scientists track space weather because of the risk of a catastrophic solar storm that would send a plume of charged particles at the Earth, interacting with the planet’s magnetic field in a way that could damage satellites in orbit or even affect the power grid on the surface.

Just before the volcano’s eruption (and purely by coincidence), a modest-sized solar storm had sent a burst of charged particles toward Earth. But the volcano had an even more powerful effect on the ionosphere, according to Claire Gasque, a doctoral candidate in space physics at the University of California at Berkeley.

Among the shocking effects: A current known as the equatorial electrojet, which normally runs west to east in the ionosphere, reversed direction, she said.

“This was a moderate [solar] storm versus a very strong volcano. So that’s not to say a volcano would always win,” Gasque said.

The data can help scientists improve their understanding of space weather, she said in an email: “This eruption is a good event to help us understand what a sudden impulsive blast of energy in the lower atmosphere can do to our space environment, which will hopefully improve future space weather prediction capabilities.”

Volcanologists have been busy in recent weeks because of the eruption of Mauna Loa, on Hawaii’s Big Island, and experts will also discuss those observations this week at the AGU meeting. Mauna Loa is a relatively predictable volcano in the grand scheme of things, and it has been closely monitored for decades.

By contrast, submarine volcanoes such as Hunga Tonga are often in very remote locations, and their potential for big eruptions remains largely unclear. In January, the record-breaking Tonga blast sent tsunamis across the Pacific Ocean and created a sonic boom that could be heard in Alaska. Experts estimate that the amount of energy released by the eruption was as much as 60 megatons, roughly equal to the most powerful hydrogen bomb ever detonated.

“One of the most remarkable things about this volcano was how explosive it was,” Sharon Walker, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, said at the news conference Monday.

Hot lava making contact with seawater fuels that explosiveness, she said. Moreover, the caldera of the submerged volcano was relatively close to the surface compared with many such peaks, and that meant less water pressure from above to suppress the violence of the eruption, she said.

“There are places in the South Pacific that could really use more study,” Jessica Ball, a volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said in a recent interview. “There are thousands of undersea volcanoes. Not all of those will be active. Sometimes we don’t know they are active until they start erupting.”

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World

Mount Semeru: Thousands evacuated after Indonesia volcano erupts

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Jakarta, Indonesia
CNN
 — 

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Sunday, blanketing roads and homes in volcanic ash and prompting evacuations of nearly 2,000 residents in East Java province, according to authorities in the country.

A statement Sunday from Indonesia’s disaster management agency (BNPB) said no injuries or deaths have so far been reported and evacuees have taken shelter in public facilities, including village halls and schools. More than 20,000 face masks have been handed out to mitigate respiratory health risks from volcanic ash, it added.

Mount Semeru, which lies around 640 kilometers (400 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, began erupting at 2:46 a.m. local time Sunday (2:46 p.m. ET Saturday), according to BNPB. Videos shared by BNPB showed nearby villages covered in gray ash.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, PVMBG, said in a statement the alert level of volcanic activity had been raised to the highest Level 4.

The agency warned residents to stay at least 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) away from Semeru’s eruption center, adding that volcanic ash had reached as far as 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the epicenter.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the plume from the eruption reached 15 kilometers (about 49,200 feet) into the air. The agency said in a statement Sunday there had been no tsunami impact following the eruption.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, sits on the “Ring of Fire,” a band around the Pacific Ocean that sets off frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Standing at 3,676 meters (12,060 feet), Mount Semeru is the tallest volcano on Java – and one of its most active ones.

More than 50 people were killed and thousands more displaced when it erupted last year.

Compared to the 2021 eruption, PVMBG chief Hendra Gunawan said the agency saw the potential for a larger volume of magma from the eruption Sunday.

“Therefore Semeru’s hot clouds could reach further (this year) and at that distance there are many residences,” he said.

The eruption in East Java on Sunday follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.

The deadly November quake that hit West Java’s Cianjur was a shallow temblor of 5.6 magnitude. A much deeper quake on Saturday in the town of Garut of 6.1 magnitude sent people running from buildings but did not cause major damage.

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World

Indonesia raises volcano warning to highest after Semeru erupts, evacuates 90 people

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JAKARTA, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Indonesian authorities raised the warning on Semeru volcano on the island of Java to the highest level on Sunday after an eruption spewed a column of ash high into the air.

The evacuation of people, which includes children and seniors, living near the volcano in East Java province had also begun with 93 residents so far evacuated to shelters, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB said in a statement.

The plume from the volcano reached a height of 50,000 feet (15 km), said Japan’s Meteorology Agency, which was monitoring for the possibility of a tsunami there.

The eruption on the eastern part of Java, some 640 km (400 miles) east of the capital Jakarta, follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, PVMBG, raised the level of volcanic activity to IV from III, its chief said in a text message.

With the raised alert level, authorities warned residents not to conduct any activities within 8 km (5 miles) of Semeru’s eruption centre, adding hot ash clouds had reached as far as 11.8 miles (19km) from the centre of eruption.

PVMBG chief Hendra Gunawan said the agency saw the potential for a bigger supply of magma this year compared to previous eruptions in 2021 and 2020.

“Therefore Semeru’s hot clouds could reach further (this year) and at that distance there are many residences,” he said.

Around the same time last year, the eruption of Semeru, Java’s tallest mountain, killed more than 50 people and left several missing, while thousands were displaced.

Some residents nearby have evacuated independently to safer buildings like mosques and schools, according to a statement from the regional government of Lumajang, where Semeru is located.

“Most of the roads have been closed since this morning. Now its raining volcanic ash and it has covered the view of the mountain,” Bayu Deny Alfianto, a local volunteer told Reuters by phone.

Small eruptions were continuing and it was raining in the area, he said.

The volcano began erupting at 2:46 a.m. (1946 GMT on Saturday), BNPB, said in a statement. Videos posted on social media showed grey ash clouds in nearby areas.

With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the largest population globally living in close range to a volcano, including 8.6 million within 10 km (6 miles).

The deadly late-November quake that hit West Java’s Cianjur was a shallow temblor of 5.6 magnitude. A much deeper quake on Saturday in Gurat of 6.1 magnitude sent people running from buildings but did not cause major damage.

Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman and Angie Teo in Jakarta; Additional reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard and Lincoln Feast

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Science

What Lies Beneath Yellowstone’s Volcano? Twice As Much Magma As Thought

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The Yellowstone Caldera, sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone Supervolcano, is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park in the Western United States. The caldera measures 43 by 28 miles (70 by 45 kilometers).

Researcher’s expertise, energy, and empathy leave a legacy.

Late MSU researcher Min Chen contributed to new seismic tomography of the magma deposits underneath Yellowstone volcano.

When Ross Maguire was a postdoctoral researcher at Michigan State University (MSU), he wanted to study the volume and distribution of molten magma underneath the Yellowstone volcano. Maguire used a technique called seismic tomography, which uses ground vibrations known as seismic waves to create a 3D image of what is happening below Earth’s surface. Using this method, Maguire was able to create an image of the magma chamber framework showing where the magma was located. But these are not crystal-clear images.

As a result of these new images, with key contributions from Chen, Maguire and his team were able to see that, in fact, twice that amount of magma exists within Yellowstone’s magmatic system.

“I was looking for people who are experts in a particular type of computational-based seismic tomography called waveform tomography,” said Maguire, now an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). “Min Chen was really a world expert on this.”

Min Chen was an assistant professor at MSU in the Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Natural Science. Using the power of supercomputing, Chen developed the method applied to Maguire’s images to model more accurately how seismic waves propagate through the Earth. Chen’s creativity and skill brought those images into sharper focus, revealing more information about the amount of molten magma under Yellowstone’s volcano.

“We didn’t see an increase in the amount of magma,” Maguire said. “We just saw a clearer picture of what was already there.”

Min Chen. Credit: MSU

Previous images showed that Yellowstone’s volcano had a low concentration of magma — only 10% — surrounded by a solid crystalline framework. As a result of these new images, with key contributions from Chen, Maguire and his team were able to see that, in fact, twice that amount of magma exists within Yellowstone’s magmatic system.

“To be clear, the new discovery does not indicate a future eruption is likely to occur,” Maguire said. “Any signs of changes to the system would be captured by the network of geophysical instruments that continually monitors Yellowstone.”

Unfortunately, Chen never got to see the final results. Her unexpected death in 2021 continues to send shockwaves throughout the earth science community, which mourns the loss of her passion and expertise.

“Computational seismology is still relatively new at MSU,” said Songqiao “Shawn” Wei, an Endowed Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences in MSU’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who was a colleague of Chen’s. “Once the pandemic hit, Chen made her lectures and research discussions available on Zoom where researchers and students from all over the world could participate. That’s how a lot of seismologists worldwide got to know MSU.”

Her meetings were a place where gifted undergraduate students, postdoctoral candidates, or simply anyone who was interested were welcome to attend. Chen had prospective graduate students as well as seasoned seismologists from around the world join her virtual calls.

Chen cared deeply about her students’ well-being and careers. She fostered an inclusive and multidisciplinary environment in which she encouraged her students and postdoctoral candidates to become well-rounded scientists and to build long-term collaborations. She even held virtual seminars about life outside of academia to help students nurture their careers and hobbies. Chen led by example: She was an avid soccer player and knew how to dance the tango.

Diversity in science was another area about which Chen felt strongly. She advocated and championed research opportunities for women and underrepresented groups. To honor Chen, her colleagues created a memorial fellowship in her name to provide graduate student support for increasing diversity in computational and earth sciences. In another tribute to her life and love of gardening, Chen’s colleagues also planted a memorial tree in the square of the Engineering Building on MSU’s campus.

Chen was truly a leader in her field and was honored as a National Science Foundation Early CAREER Faculty Award recipient in 2020 to conduct detailed seismic imaging of North America to study Earth’s solid outer shell.

“She had so much energy,” Maguire said. “She focused on ensuring that people could be successful while she was incredibly successful.”

Maguire’s research, which showcases a portion of Chen’s legacy, is published in the journal Science.

References:

“Magma accumulation at depths of prior rhyolite storage beneath Yellowstone Caldera” by Ross Maguire, Brandon Schmandt, Jiaqi Li, Chengxin Jiang, Guoliang Li, Justin Wilgus and Min Chen, 1 December 2012, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ade0347

“What lies beneath Yellowstone? There is more magma than previously recognized, but it may not be eruptible” by Kari M. Cooper, 1 December 2012, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ade8435



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US

Hawaii volcano: Lava from Mauna Loa is less than 4 miles from a key highway. Officials say they have a plan in case the road closes

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CNN
 — 

With the Mauna Loa volcano continuing to erupt on Hawaii’s Big Island, local officials and residents are keeping an eye on the lava flow as it creeps closer to a major roadway and making plans for the possibility that access to the highway could soon be cut off and have a major impact on daily life.

Lava from Mauna Loa was 3.6 miles from Saddle Road, also known as Daniel K. Inouye Highway, as of Wednesday morning, the US Geological Survey said. The crucial roadway is the fastest route linking the east and west sides of the island.

“County officials have been working with the state Department of Transportation on a plan to shut down the Daniel K. Inouye Highway if the lava moves close enough to the road to pose a hazard,” Adam Weintraub, communication director with Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said in a statement to CNN. “The plans are preliminary and subject to change based on how the lava advances.”

As of Wednesday, the lava was moving into a relatively flat area, “so it is slowing down and spreading out,” Weintraub said.

Emmanuel Carrasco Escalante, who lives in Hilo on the island’s east side, told CNN if the road ends up being shut down, his commute to work would take about four hours round trip – twice as long as normal, not accounting for traffic.

Carrasco Escalante works in landscaping in Kona on the west side of the island and said he usually leaves for work around 3:30 a.m.

If Saddle Road is closed, he’ll have to detour to either the north or south coastal roadways, he said.

“That would add almost two hours, more gas, and more miles so hopefully it (lava) doesn’t cross that road,” Carrasco Escalante told CNN.

The fountains of lava that began pouring from Mauna Loa this week marked the first time it has erupted in 38 years, joining nearby Kilauea, which has been erupting since last year, and creating rare duel volcanic eruptions on the Big Island. At 13,681 feet above sea level, Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano.

The transportation department can provide a six-hour notice of the road’s closure, Weintraub said. “And the staff at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say that they can provide at least 24-48 hours advance warning if the lava appears to be threatening the roadway,” he added.

According to the US Geological Survey, the lava’s pace has slowed in the days since the eruption and it could take at least two days for the lava to reach Saddle Road.

In case of emergencies if the road closes, there are hospitals and first responders on each side of the island, Weintraub said, noting there is already “substantial coordination” between hospitals in the state.

Hawaii’s transportation department is monitoring the situation and response plans are in place if the highway must be closed, according to a statement from earlier this week. The department also shared a preliminary plan for the possibility of closure.


Despite the dual eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea just 21 miles apart in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Gov. David Ige has maintained it’s still safe to visit the Big Island. And the park has said neither eruption is threatening homes.

“The eruption site is high up the mountain, and it’s in a relatively isolated location,” Ige said.

State health officials, however, have warned of potential air quality issues, including vog, or volcanic smog.

Residents and visitors can expect “vog conditions, ash in the air, and levels of sulfur dioxide to increase and fluctuate in various areas of the state,” the Hawaii health department said.

Volcanic gas, fine ash and Pele’s Hair (strands of volcanic glass) could be carried downwind, the US Geological Survey said. A field team has found Pele’s hairs across older lava flows, the geological survey said Wednesday, adding: “Hairs deposited many km (mi) from active vents by the windblown eruption plume.”

Children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions should reduce outdoor activities that cause heavy breathing and reduce exposure by staying indoors and closing windows and doors if vog conditions develop, the health department said.

The governor acknowledged the potential for air hazards and said officials are tracking air quality monitors across the island.

“The concern is about dangerous gases from the fissures. And the most dangerous is sulfur dioxide,” Ige said Wednesday. “Observing the volcano should occur at a distance. It’s not safe to get up close.”

While evacuation orders have not been issued, Ige said he signed an emergency proclamation as a “proactive” measure.

More than 3,000 miles to the north, officials in Alaska are also monitoring two erupting volcanoes in their state.

Both the Pavlof Volcano and Great Sitkin Volcano are experiencing low-level eruptions in the remote Aleutian Islands chain, according to Cheryl Searcy, duty scientist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

“Pavlof has been erupting for over a year,” Searcy told CNN in a phone interview from Anchorage. “Roughly 15 months of activity, longer than any of the previous eruptions.”

During that time, Pavlof – which stands at 8,261 feet– has not produced a high ash cloud, posing no threat to aviation, Searcy said.

As for the Great Sitkin Volcano, lava is still erupting in its summit crater, according to a report from the state’s volcano observatory. Searcy noted the 5,709-foot Great Sitkin has also been active for quite a while.

Researchers are also keeping an eye on three other volcanoes that have shown signs of unrest, including the Semisopochnoi, Takawangha and Cleveland volcanoes.

Overall, Alaska has more than 40 active volcanoes stretching across the Aleutian Islands chain.



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US

Two volcanoes erupt simultaneously in Hawaii for first time in decades: “A very sacred event that we are watching”

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Two of Hawaii’s largest volcanoes are erupting simultaneously.

Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupted for the first time in decades on Sunday night. Nearby, Kilauea is also erupting — both on the archipelago’s Big Island. 

Dual eruptions haven’t been seen since 1984. 

“This is a rare time where we have two eruptions happening simultaneously,” Jessica Ferracane, a spokesperson for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, told CBS News. “To the people of Hawaii, this is a very sacred event that we are watching.”   

The Kilauea volcano, which is smaller and more active than Mauna Loa, had been erupting since 1983, and in 2018, its lava flows destroyed hundreds of homes on the island. Recently, its eruption activity has been confined to the crater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Scientists say two new lava flows formed Tuesday on Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (EMA) said Wednesday afternoon that there is “still no immediate threat to populated areas” from the Mauna Loa eruption. According to the EMA, the lava was about 3.5 miles from Saddle Road, which connects the east and west sides of the island.  

Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said experts are monitoring the lava’s movement.  

“It could just as easily shift and start another flow as well and we’ll just watch it very, very carefully. We are thinking very, very, much about advances,” Hon said. 

Ash and sulfur dioxide from the eruption could negatively affect air quality across the state, the state health department said.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains open but visitors are urged to check the park website for closure updates, safety alerts, air quality and other information. 

Jonathan Vigliotti

Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. He previously served as a foreign correspondent for the network’s London bureau.



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US

Viewers flock to watch glowing lava ooze from Hawaii volcano

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KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — The world’s largest volcano oozed rivers of glowing lava Wednesday, drawing thousands of awestruck viewers who jammed a Hawaii highway that could soon be covered by the flow.

Mauna Loa awoke from its 38-year slumber Sunday, causing volcanic ash and debris to drift down from the sky. A main highway linking towns on the east and west coasts of the Big Island became an impromptu viewing point, with thousands of cars jamming the highway near Volcanoes National Park.

Anne Andersen left her overnight shift as a nurse to see the spectacle Wednesday, afraid that the road would soon be closed.

“It’s Mother Nature showing us her face,” she said, as the volcano belched gas on the horizon. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Gordon Brown, a visitor from Loomis, California, could see the bright orange lava from the bedroom of his rental house. So he headed out for a close-up view with his wife.

“We just wanted … to come see this as close as we could get. And it is so bright, it just blows my mind,” Brown said.

The lava was tumbling slowly down the slope and was about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from the highway known as Saddle Road. It was not clear when, or if, it would cover the road, which runs through old lava flows.

The road bisects the island and connects the cities of Hilo and Kailua-Kona. People traveling between them would need to take a longer coastal road if Saddle Road becomes impassable, adding several hours of drive time.

Ken Hon, scientist in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said at current flow rate, the soonest the lava would get to the road is two days, but it will likely take longer.

“As the lava flow spreads out, it will probably interfere with its own progress,” Hon said.

Kathryn Tarananda, 66, of Waimea set two alarms to make sure she didn’t oversleep and miss her chance with a friend to see sunrise against the backdrop of eruptions at Mauna Loa.

“It’s a thrill,” she said. “We’re out in the middle of raw nature. It’s awe inspiring that we live in this place. … I feel really, really fortunate to be an islander.”

Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. The current eruption is its 34th since written record keeping began in 1843. Its smaller neighbor, Kilauea, has been erupting since September 2021, so visitors to the national park were treated to the rare sight of two simultaneous eruptive events: the glow from Kilauea’s lava lake and lava from a Mauna Loa fissure.

Abel Brown, a visitor from Las Vegas, was impressed by the natural forces on display. He planned to take a close-up helicopter tour later in the day — but not too close.

“There’s a lot of fear and trepidation if you get really close to it,” Brown said. “The closer you get, the more powerful it is and the more scary it is.”

Officials were initially concerned that lava flowing down Mauna Loa would head toward the community of South Kona, but scientists later assured the public the eruption had migrated to a rift zone on the volcano’s northeast flank and wasn’t threatening communities.

The smell of volcanic gases and sulfur was thick along Saddle Road, where people watched the wide stream of lava creep closer. Clouds cleared to reveal a large plume of gas and ash rising from a vent on the mountain.

Gov. David Ige issued an emergency proclamation to allow responders to arrive quickly or limit access as needed.

Lava crossed the Mauna Loa Observatory access road Monday night and cut off power to the facility, Hon said. It’s the world’s premier station that measures heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The federal government is looking for a temporary alternate site on the Hawaiian island and is contemplating flying a generator to the observatory to get its power back so it can take measurements again.

Meanwhile, scientists are trying to measure the gas emitted from the eruption.

___

Kelleher reported from Honolulu. Associated Press reporters Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Greg Bull and Haven Daley in Hilo contributed to this report.

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US

Mauna Loa eruption 2022 – live: Hawaii volcano eruption shifts from summit to rift as shelters open and flights delayed

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Mauna Loa: World’s largest active volcano erupts in Hawaii

Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, has erupted for the first time in nearly four decades.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the eruption on the state’s Big Island began at approximately 11.30pm local time on Sunday in Mokuaweoweo, the summit caldera of the volcano.

Footage from US Geological Survey (USGS) webcams at the summit captured fountains of lava spewing from a long fissure and spreading across the caldera floor.

The USGS said the lava flows were initially contained in the summit area and do not pose a threat to communities downslope, but there are fears that could change.

At 7.43am ET on Monday, USGS said that “there is currently no indication of any migration of the eruption into a rift zone”.

The eruption has also already triggered dozens of earthquakes of more than 2.5 magnitudes on the Richter scale, one of them clocking in at 4.2.

The local NWS branch issued an ashfall warning which cautioned that “winds may carry volcanic gas and possibly fine ash and Pele’s hair downwind”.

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Why didn’t Mauna Loa explode like Mount St Helens?

Fifty-seven people died when Washington state’s Mount St Helens erupted in 1980 and blasted more than 1,300ft (400m) off the top of the mountain. Steam, rocks and volcanic gas burst upward and outward. A plume of volcanic ash rose over 80,000ft (24,384m) and rained down as far as 250 miles (400km) away.

Hawaii volcanoes like Mauna Loa tend not to have explosion eruptions like this.

That’s because their magma is hotter, drier and more fluid, said Hannah Dietterich, a research geophysicist at the US Geological Survey’s Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The magma in Mount St Helens tends to be stickier and traps more gas, making it much more likely to explode when it rises.

The gas in the magma of Hawaii’s volcanoes tends to escape, and so lava flows down the side of their mountains when they erupt.

Hawaii’s volcanoes are called shield volcanoes because successive lava flows over hundreds of thousands of years build broad mountains that resemble the shape of a warrior’s shield.

Shield volcanos are also found in California and Idaho as well as Iceland and the Galapagos Islands. Alaska’s Wrangell-St Elias National Park has eight shield volcanoes including Mount Wrangell.

Volcanoes like Mount St. Helens are called composite or stratovolcanoes. Their steep, conical slopes are built by the eruption of viscous lava flows and rock, ash and gas. Japan’s Mount Fuji is another example of a composite volcano.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 06:50

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Watch: World’s largest active volcano erupts in Hawaii for first time in almost 40 years

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, has erupted for the first time in almost 40 years.

Footage shows the sky glowing red as the volcano erupted on Hawaii‘s Big Island.

Dozens of earthquakes, some of more than 2.5 on the richter scale, were triggered by the eruption.

The last eruption at Mauna Loa occurred in 1984.

Mauno Loa: World’s largest active volcano erupts for first time in almost 40 years

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, has erupted for the first time in almost 40 years. Footage shows the sky glowing red as the volcano erupted on Hawaii’s Big Island. The National Weather Service (NWS) said that the eruption began at 11:30pm local time on Sunday, 27 November. Dozens of earthquakes, some of more than 2.5 on the richter scale, were triggered by the eruption. The last eruption at Mauna Loa occurred in 1984. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 04:50

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What happens next?

Each eruption since 1843 started at Mauna Loa’s summit. Half the time, the volcano later also began erupting from vents at lower elevations. The other half of the time it only erupted in the summit caldera.

Scientists can’t tell far in advance when and where Mauna Loa will open new vents and erupt.

Vents generally form along the volcano’s rift zone. That’s where the mountain is splitting apart, the rock is cracked and relatively weak and it’s easier for magma to emerge.

An eruption from vents on the southwest rift zone could hit residential communities, coffee farms or coastal villages on the west side of the island. Lava could reach homes in just hours or days.

The west side’s most populous town would be protected from any Mauna Loa eruption by the presence of another active volcano. The broad flanks of that volcano, Hualalai, sit between Mauna Loa’s southwest rift zone and Kailua-Kona and would block any lava heading toward the coastal community.

An eruption from the northeast rift zone could send lava toward the county seat of Hilo or other towns in East Hawaii. It could take lava weeks or months to reach populated areas on this side of the mountain.

Scott Rowland, a geologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said there’s no pattern when it comes to where an eruption will occur.

“Just because the last one was on the northeast rift zone does not mean the next one will be down the southwest rift zone,” he said.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 03:50

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Why doesn’t Mauna Loa erupt like is neighbour Kilauea

Kilauea is well-known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava spreading across farms and into the ocean. The eruption of Mauna Loa is different.

Mauna Loa’s eruptions differ from Kilauea’s in part because it is taller. It’s greater height gives it steeper slopes, which allow lava to rush down its hillsides faster than Kilauea’s.

It’s enormous size may allow it to store more magma, leading to larger lava flows when an eruption occurs.

Frank Trusdell, research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey, said data indicates that Mauna Loa has a much larger magma reservoir than Kilauea, which may allow it to hold more lava and rest longer between eruptions than Kilauea.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 02:50

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Seven weeks ago: National park closes access to Mauna Loa due to increased seismic activity

In early October, national park authorities closed Mauna Loa’s summit off as a precautionary measure “due to elevated seismic activity”.

Shweta Sharma reported for The Independent at the time.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 01:50

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Where is Mauna Loa?

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s not the tallest (that title goes to Mauna Kea) but it’s the largest and makes up about half of the island’s land mass.

It sits immediately north of Kilauea volcano, which is currently erupting from its summit crater. Kilauea is well-known for a 2018 eruption that destroyed 700 homes and sent rivers of lava spreading across farms and into the ocean.

Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. In written history, dating to 1843, it’s erupted 33 times.

The Big Island is mostly rural and is home to cattle ranches, coffee farms and beach resorts. It’s about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Hawaii’s most populous island, Oahu, where the state capital Honolulu and beach resort Waikiki are both located.

Oliver O’Connell29 November 2022 00:50

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Southwest Airlines cancels Hilo flights in wake of eruption

Southwest Airlines has cancelled at least 10 flights to and from Hilo airport on the Big Island as the eruption of Mauna Loa continues.

The company said in a statement: “The volcanic ash advisory has Southwest adjusting our operation today within Hawaii and we’ll continue reaching to update customers holding reservations on any flights affected by either delays or a cancellation. We have suspended operations in Hilo today, affecting a total 10 interisland departures just on the route between Honolulu and Hilo, and would make further adjustments as necessary.”

A waiver is being offered for customers scheduled to fly to, from or within Hawaii to change their reservation with no changes in fares. The waiver is applicable to bookings Monday and Tuesday.

Aviation officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

Oliver O’Connell28 November 2022 23:50

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One month ago: Hawaii’s Big Island gets warning as huge volcano rumbles

Authorities warned Hawaii residents to prepare one month ago…

Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it may erupt.

Although an eruption isn’t imminent, scientists are on alert because of a recent spike in earthquakes at the volcano’s summit. Experts say it would take just a few hours for lava to reach homes closest to the volcano, which last erupted in 1984.

Oliver O’Connell28 November 2022 22:50

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Mauna Loa: What you need to know

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Mauna Loa, rising 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, is the much larger neighbor of Kilauea, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018. Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea’s, so lava can flow much faster when it erupts.

During a 1950 eruption, the mountain’s lava traveled 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the ocean in fewer than three hours.

Here’s what’s happening at Mauna Loa right now.

Oliver O’Connell28 November 2022 22:20

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Eruption shifts to rift zone

The US Geological Survey said that the eruption had migrated to a rift zone — a place where the mountain rock is cracked and relatively weak — making it easier for magma to emerge.

An eruption from the zone could send lava toward the county seat of Hilo or other towns in East Hawaii but it could take the lava weeks or months to reach populated areas.

“We don’t want to try and second-guess the volcano,” Ken Hon, the scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. “We have to let it actually show us what it’s going to do and then we inform people of what is happening ASAP.”

Hawaii County Civil Defense announced that it had opened shelters because it had reports of people evacuating from along the coast on their own initiative.

The average Mauna Loa eruption is not typically prolonged, lasting a couple of weeks, Mr Hon said.

“Typically, Mauna Loa eruptions start off with the heaviest volume first,” Mr Hon said. “After a few days, it starts to calm down a little bit.”

Oliver O’Connell28 November 2022 21:50

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Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, erupting for first time in almost 40 years

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Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, started erupting Sunday night and lava was flowing from its summit by Monday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The lava wasn’t expected to threaten populated areas, officials said.

“Lava flows are not threatening any downslope communities and all indications are that the eruption will remain in the Northeast Rift Zone,” the USGS said in a statement.

At a Monday afternoon press conference, Hawaii Volcano Observatory Scientist in Charge Ken Hon said officials don’t expect the lava flow to reach the Southeast Rift Zone, where there are more inhabitants. 

“As far as we know, in any historic precedence that there has never been an eruption of Mauna Loa that activated both rift zones at the same time or during the same eruption,” Han said. “So we presume at this point that all of the future activity is gonna be on the Northeast Rift Zone and not on the Southeast Rift Zone. So those residents in that area do not have to worry about lava flows.”

In this aerial photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Mauna Loa volcano is seen erupting from vents on the Northeast Rift Zone on the Big Island of Hawaii, Nov. 28, 2022.

U.S. Geological Survey via AP


Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843, according to the USGS. It last erupted in 1984, when lava spilled down its slopes and came within 4.5 miles of Hilo.

Hon said the lava flow is very similar to the lava flow from the 1984 eruption and could potentially threaten populated areas around Hilo  

“We’re looking for somewhere around a week before we expect lava to get anywhere near that direction,” he said. “We’re hoping that it will parallel the 1984 eruption in becoming more viscous as times goes on and hitting flatter slopes that slow it down, and this actually prevented the lava from getting into Hilo.”

He added that “only a couple of eruptions” have made it into the outskirts and reached Hilo. 

“We’re hoping that while this lava flow will be a big, spectacular event, it occupies a fairly small proportion of the island, and hopefully it will have relatively minor effects on the residents and visitors of the island,” Hon said. 

Still, the agency warned all residents on Hawaii Island who are “at risk from Mauna Loa lava flows” to “review preparedness and refer to Hawai’i County Civil Defense information for further guidance.”

The early stages of an eruption can be dynamic, the agency warned, adding that “lava flows can change rapidly.”

Residents were also warned volcanic gas, ash and thin glass fibers known as Pele’s hair could be carried downwind.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it was “in close consultation with emergency management partners and will be monitoring the volcano closely to provide further updates on activity.”

Major General Ken Hara, adjutant general for the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense, said Monday afternoon that the Hawaiin Emergency Management Agency had activated its emergency operation center at 1 a.m. Hara added that the Hawaii National Guard was on standby, although nobody had been activated as of 1:15 p.m. local time.

A satellite captured images of Sunday’s eruption from space. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted images of the heat signature and release of sulfur dioxide from the volcano.

In response to the eruption, Southwest Airlines canceled 10 interisland flights between Hilo, the island’s biggest city, and Honolulu, the carrier told CBS News. Hawaiian Airlines said it was still operating on the island in Hilo and Kona while monitoring the eruption, and Untied Airlines reported no delays or cancellations Monday morning.

Mauna Loa’s Hawaiian name means “long mountain,” which is fitting as the huge mountain extends roughly 74 miles from its edge along Hawaii Island’s southern coast, to the rim of its summit caldera, or crater, where the eruption began on Sunday evening.

An image taken by a webcam situated along the northwest rim of the summit caldera of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano early on November 28, 2022 shows an eruption which, at the time, was confined to the crater.

USGS


Tucker Reals

Tucker Reals is the CBSNews.com foreign editor, based at the CBS News London bureau.



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