Mauna Loa

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Mauna Loa
Highest point
Elevation13,679 ft (4,169 m)
Prominence7,079 ft (2,158 m)
Coordinates19°28′46″N 155°36′10″W / 19.47944°N 155.60278°W / 19.47944; -155.60278
Naming
Language of nameHawaiian
Geography
Mauna Loa is located in Hawaii
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa within the Hawaiian Islands
LocationHawaii County, Hawaii, United States
Geology
Mountain typeShield volcano
Volcanic arcHawaiian–Emperor seamount chain
Last eruption2022
Mauna Loa was releasing lava in 1984

Mauna Loa is an active volcano in the Hawaiian Islands of the United States.

Name[change | change source]

“Mauna Loa” is Hawaiian for “long mountain”.

Size[change | change source]

The volcano is at least 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km3) in volume[1] and over 4 kilometers above sea level. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, it reaches above 8 kilometers, making it the tallest mountain on Earth,[2] but not the highest. That distinction is reserved for Mount Everest.

Measured from sea level Mauna Loa is 4,169 meters high.[3] It is also one of the largest volcanoes measuring 60 miles long and 30 miles wide.

The world's biggest volcano is named Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Mauna Loa is part of the five volcanoes on Hawaii's 'Big Island'. The most recent time this volcano erupted was in 1984.[4] It erupted 33 times in the last 170 years. Like all the other Hawaiian volcanoes, Mauna Loa was created by the movement of the Pacific tectonic plate which moved over the Hawaii hotspot in the Earth's mantle. It is a shield volcano. The largest recent eruption from Mauna Loa left a lava trail 51 kilometres (32 miles) long.

References[change | change source]

  1. Kaye, G.D. (2002). "Using GIS to estimate the total volume of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii". 98th Annual Meeting. Geological Society of America. Archived from the original on 2009-01-25. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
  2. "Mauna Loa". www.volcanodiscovery.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. Kaye, G.D. "Using GIS to estimate the total volume of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii," Archived 2009-01-25 at the Wayback Machine Geological Society of America, 98th Annual Meeting; retrieved 2012-6-18.
  4. "Mauna Loa". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2020.