<h5>What is Mauna Loa?</h5>  <p>Mauna Loa is the largest volcano in the world. It is located in the south-central region of Hawaii island in Hawaii state, the United States of America (USA). It is a part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Mauna Loa means “Long Mountain” in the Hawaiian language. Its height is 13,677 feet (4,169 metres) and it covers half of the island's area (whoa!!).</p>
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<p>The volcano’s peak gets snow-capped during winter. It is a shield volcano and is among the Earth’s most active volcanoes. It has erupted 33 times since its first well-documented eruption in 1843. Since 1868, this volcano has produced voluminous basalt flows that have reached the ocean eight times.</p>
<p>It last erupted in 1984, when a lava flow reached 7.2 kilometres (4.5 miles) of Hilo, the island's largest town. It is almost expected to erupt again. It is being closely monitored by authorities so that no harm is caused due to its eruption.
</p> <h5>Okay, what are shield volcanoes?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/mauna-loa-in-hawaii-has-started-to-rumble%2Fmauna-loa-in-hawaii-has-started-to-rumble-section1.jpg?alt=media&token=c2de3cf7-e7c2-431a-aefa-09e60d8811bd" alt="Okay, what are shield volcanoes?" >
        <figcaption>Snow-covered Hallasan mountain in South Korea. </figcaption>
      </figure> <p>Shield volcanoes are the world's largest volcanoes. They are nearly entirely composed of basalt, a kind of lava that is very fluid after it erupts. These volcanoes are not steep, which causes the lava to run easily down the hill. Shield volcano eruptions are explosive only when water gets into the vent, otherwise, they are low-explosive in nature.</p>
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Shield volcanoes are named so because they look like a warrior's shield lying flat on the ground. Some famous shield volcanoes from around the world are Fernandina in the Galapagos, Kilauea in Hawaii, Hallasan in South Korea, etc. Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, a shield volcano itself, has recently started to rumble.
</p> <h5>What is going on at Mauna Loa?</h5>  <p>In 1984, Mauna Loa last erupted, and it began to wake up again in 2021 with several small-magnitude earthquakes. That rumbling has gotten more active in recent weeks, ranging from a handful of earthquakes per day in June to around 50 per day in the last two weeks (oh no!).</p>
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<p>Researchers have said that the volcano is not erupting as yet, but that heightened disturbances continue. The volcano has been put under a yellow alert by the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). A red alert will be issued when an eruption is about to happen.</p>
<p>According to the USGS, the present activity is happening due to magma flow that is still deep beneath the surface, maybe 2-5 miles (3.21-8.04 kilometres) below the summit. In the past, Mauna Loa eruptions have created a large amount of fast-moving lava. The lava can flow in the direction of the towns on the island's east and west sides, including Hilo.
</p> <h5>Are there any precautions being taken?</h5>  <p>The HVO has started providing daily updates regarding Mauna Loa. To stay safe if an eruption happens, citizens have been asked to keep an eye out for information from the HVO and Hawaii County Civil Defense. The summit of the volcano has also been closed to tourists due to recent activities.</p>
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Authorities have also advised residents to prepare a "go bag" in case of an eruption. Let’s hope that the volcano does not erupt and that the people of the region remain safe even if it does.
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Mauna Loa, a volcano located in Hawaii, has been rumbling a lot for the past few weeks. Let’s read to find out more about it.

Mauna Loa in Hawaii Has Started to Rumble

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Mauna Loa in Hawaii Has Started to Rumble

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