World’s largest active volcano erupts
The world’s largest active volcano has begun to erupt for the first time in 38 years, with officials warning locals to prepare in the event of a worst-case scenario.
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, began to erupt on Sunday night local time at Moku'āweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera (a hollow that forms beneath the summit after an eruption).
While the lava has been mostly contained within the summit, US officials said the situation could change rapidly and have urged Big Island’s 200,000 residents to prepare to evacuate if lava begins to flow towards populated areas.
A warning about ashfall was previously issued to residents, given that falling ash can contaminate water supplies, kill vegetation and irritate the lungs, but the advisory has since been lifted.
"Based on past events, the early stages of a Mauna Loa eruption can be very dynamic and the location and advance of lava flows can change rapidly," the US Geological Service (USGS) said.
The public has also been urged to stay away from Mauna Loa, given the threat caused by lava that has been shooting 30 to 60 metres into the air, as well as the emission of harmful volcanic gases such as sulfur dioxide.
The eruption - Moana Loa’s 33rd since 1843 - comes after a series of recent earthquakes hit the region, with more than a dozen reported on Sunday.
Bobby Camara, a lifelong resident who lives in Big Island’s Volcano Village, told The Guardian that he had seen the volcano erupt three times in his life and warned that everyone on the island should be vigilant.
“I think everybody should be a little bit concerned,” he said.
“We don’t know where the flow is going, we don’t know how long it’s going to last.”
Gunner Mench, an art gallery owner in Kamuela, told the outlet that he saw the eruption alert on his phone shortly after midnight on Sunday before venturing out to film the red glow over the island and lava spilling down the side of the volcano.
“You could see it spurting up into the air, over the edge of this depression,” Mench said.
“Right now it’s just entertainment, but the concern is (it could reach populated areas).”
Dr Jessica Johnson, a volcano geophysicist who has worked at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told the BBC that although the lava poses “little risk” to people, it could be a threat for infrastructure.
She warned that lava flows could pose a threat to Hilo and Kona, two nearby population centres, and that the volcanic gases could cause breathing problems.
While the USGS has noted there is no indication the lava will spill out of the summit, the agency has opened evacuation shelters due to reports of locals self-evacuating along the South Kona coast.
Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano and one of five that make up Hawaii’s Big Island, the southernmost island in the archipelago.
Image: H24 NET (Twitter)