Mauna Loa, Hawaii: The world’s largest volcano erupted

Hawaiian Mauna Loa hurls ash and rocks down its slopes. According to US data, this is the largest volcano in the world. Its last eruption dates back to almost 40 years ago.

According to US data, the world’s largest active volcano has erupted. After nearly 40 years of inactivity, ash and rocks were dumped on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Hawaii Sunday evening (local time), according to the US Geological Institute and the USGS.

So far the eruption has been limited to the Moku’āweoweo crater on the mountain’s summit. No lava flowed down. Adjacent cities are therefore not in danger at the moment, he said.

Peak more than 4100 meters high

Seismologists had previously feared an eruption due to multiple earthquakes detected at the summit. Past eruptions of Mauna Loa have shown that volcanic eruptions are very dynamic, especially in the early stages, the US earthquake agency has warned. Additionally, winds could carry volcanic gases and ash to inhabited areas.

The peak of Mauna Loa rises more than 4100 meters from the Hawaiian archipelago in the Pacific. The volcano last erupted in 1984. The lava flow managed to descend rapidly through the steep mountain sides and was able to reach the sea 24 kilometers away in just a few hours.