Mauna Loa Eruption: Historical Event on Hawaii’s Big Island

Mauna Loa Eruption: Historical Event on Hawaii's Big Island The world's largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, erupted in Hawaii for the first time in 38 years. The eruption initiated late on November 27, sending molten lava cascading down one side of the volcano on Hawaii's Big Island. Fortunately, there has been no indication of danger to nearby communities. However, the lava flow is creeping closer to the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, a vital route connecting two sides of the island. State health officials have advised that air quality could deteriorate due to hazards such as vog, or volcanic smog. Mauna Loa is seen from the air on December 12. According to the USGS on December 13, Mauna Loa has stopped erupting. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images People watch lava erupt from the volcano on December 1. Go Nakamura/Reuters A helicopter flies past lava fissures on December 7. Andrew Richard Hara/Getty Images Locals dedicate a traditional drink to Pele, the goddess of volcanoes and fire, on December 3. Go Nakamura/Reuters Lava flows from the volcano on November 30. Go Nakamura/Reuters A woman records the volcano with her phone on December 3. Gregory Bull/AP A fissure erupts on the volcano's Northeast Rift Zone on December 1. Drew Downs/USGS Motorists make their way through Hilo as people search for a volcano vantage point on December 2. Gregory Bull/AP Lava spews from the volcano on November 30. Go Nakamura/Reuters A journalist records lava from Mauna Loa. Gregory Bull/AP A man looks on as lava erupts from Mauna Loa on November 30. Gregory Bull/AP A child holds a stuffed animal while walking over hardened lava rock from a previous eruption. Gregory Bull/AP This aerial photo, taken on November 28, shows a line of fissure vents erupting. Civil Air Patrol/USGS People gather to observe the eruption. Go Nakamura/Reuters A fissure erupts on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. M. Patrick/USGS The volcano last erupted in 1984. Marco Garcia/AP The eruption began in Moku'āweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, around 11:30 a.m. on November 27, according to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. Andrew Richard Hara/Getty Images People watch the lava on November 28. Caleb Jones/AP Fountains of lava as tall as 200 feet burst from Mauna Loa on November 28, the US Geological Survey said. Civil Air Patrol/USGS Hawaii officials have said the simultaneous eruptions of Mauna Loa and the Kilauea volcano are not threatening homes or nearby infrastructure. Marco Garcia/AP Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed an emergency proclamation to direct resources and aid response to Mauna Loa's eruption. In this long-exposure photo, cars drive down Saddle Road on November 28 as Mauna Loa erupts in the distance. Marco Garcia/AP