

From the ground, it only appears to be a small hill because the slopes of the peak are so gentle. "Largest" Mountain in the Worldīy far and away, Mauna Loa is the largest mountain in the world. Since this last eruption, the Mauna Loa volcano had remained inactive for several years.Mauna Loa above the clouds from the Mauna Kea Trail at about 10,000 feet. The course of this lava flow was however interrupted by the two natural levees that diverted the lava flows. The latest volcanic eruption that took place in 1984 produced a channelized lava flow that reached within 6km of the city of Hilo. The 1950 volcanic eruption which originated from the southwestern rift zone emitted 376 million cubic meters of lava and lasted for 23 days. The bombs had minimal effect on the magma flow and eventually, the flow ceased by itself. Fearing the destruction of Ola’a flume, which served as a primary water source for Mountain View, the US Army Airforce decided to drop bombs on the island to redirect the flow of magma.


Even though the US government ordered a ‘gag order’ on the local media to contain the spread of the news, they, however, failed in their attempts to control the eruption. However, the volcanic eruption of Mauna Loa during this wartime created a unique challenge for the United States. The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to the entry of the United States into the Second World War. The 1942 Mount Loa eruption was one of the most interesting ones. The northwestern flank of Mauna Loa has also served as a source of a few eruptions besides the summit and the two rift zones. Most of these eruptions occur at the summit caldera and then migrate to either of the two rift zones. Studies have also revealed that the Mauna Loa shield volcano consists of very fluid lava flows and due to the extremely low viscosity of the lava, the eruptions from the Mauna Loa volcano occur at high speed and the lava is capable of traveling long distances. It has been recorded that the Mauna Loa volcano had erupted about 33 times from the year 1843 till date, averaging once every 6 years. The second rift that extends in the northeast direction towards the large city of Hilo is deemed to be active for just the first 20km of its length. The first rift extends for 60km in the southwest direction from the caldera, reaching more than 40km underwater, and is considered active throughout most of its length. In addition to this, the summit also serves as the focal point of Mauna Loa's two principal rift zones. The two small pit craters Lua Hou and Lua Hohonu, are located in the southwestern part of Mokuaweoweo. The summit caldera of Mauna Loa, referred to as "Mokuaweoweo," covers an area of about 15 sq. The summit of Mauna Loa features three pit craters that overlap and are arranged in a northeast to southwest direction. This shield volcano contains about 65,000 to 80,000 cubic kilometers of solid rock and takes the shape of an extensive, broad dome that extends down to the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The dome of Mauna Loa has a length of 120km and a maximum width of 103km. km, Mauna Loa covers about 51% of the area of the Island of Hawai'i, and the weight of this mammoth mountain has depressed the ocean's crust for about 8km. The name "Mauna Loa" is a Hawaiian term that means "Long Mountain" and refers to the massive size and huge lava flow of this largest single mountain mass. About Mauna Loa Tourist admiring the breathtaking view of Mauna Loa volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.
