The active volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii has gone from a warning to an alert as scientists believe the eruption of Mauna Loa is coming to an end.
On Saturday, a bulletin from the US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported that the eruption in the mountain’s northeast rift zone was continuing, but lava production and volcanic gas emissions were “significantly reduced.” “.
The observatory said high eruption rates “will not resume based on past eruptive behavior” and the volcano’s current behavior suggests the eruption may end soon.
“However, an inflationary trend from Mauna Loa’s summit is accompanying the decline in activity and there is a small chance that the eruption will continue at very low eruptive rates,” the bulletin reads.
ERUPTION OF THE MAUNA LOA VOLCANO: WHAT TO KNOW
The bulletin also reported that a lava flow front nearly two miles from Saddle Road, a vital highway used by residents and tourists to get from the east side of the island to the west, had “stalled.”
This comes three days after scientists said Wednesday that the path was no longer under imminent threat from lava.
Earlier reports raised concern after scientists warned that lava could reach the highway, which would have drastically affected travel to and from the city of Hilo.
A man talks on the phone in his car along Saddle Road as the Mauna Loa volcano erupts Wednesday, November 30, 2022, near Hilo, Hawaii.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
HAWAII’S MAUNA LOA: STUNNING IMAGES SHOW VOLCANO ERUPTION FROM SPACE
Mauna Loa, which means “long mountain” in Hawaiian, last erupted in 1984. The current eruption marks the 34th since written record-keeping began in 1843.
Kilauea, a smaller volcano nearby, has also been actively erupting since September 2021.
The rare phenomenon has drawn tourists to the Big Island during what is usually a low season, as both volcanoes can be viewed at the same time from various vantage points near the Kilauea caldera.
People watch and record images of lava from the Mauna Loa volcano on Thursday, December 1, 2022, near Hilo, Hawaii.
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
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The observatory bulletin said scientists will continue to monitor the volcano closely. Flight restrictions remain in effect in the area up to 1,500 feet above ground level.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
