For the first time in more than thirty years, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have raised the alert level for Mauna Loa. What it does mean is that the seismic stations at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) are recording elevated “small magnitude earthquakes” underneath the summit. The scientists have also measured inflation on Mauna Loa that is indicates a recharge of the volcano’s shallow magma storage system, which led them to raise the alert level to yellow, or advisory.
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The most recent eruption of Mauna Loa began in March of 1984 – and lasted for three weeks.
“The current unrest could be a precursor to the next eruption of Mauna Loa. But at this early stage, we can not determine precisely which possibility is more likely”.
Scientists have put stress on the truth that development towards an eruption is in no way sure, however the volcano is beneath shut watch to trace how the event of unrest takes place. “Together, these observations indicate that Mauna Loa is no longer at a background level of activity”.
A combination of the continuous seismic activity, along with the measurements of ground formation, have caused the advisory level, which was previously listed as normal.
An advisory status is issued when one more volcano monitoring parameters are above background levels.
According to HVO, the earthquakes are occurring in locations similar to those that happened before Mauna Loa’s two most recent eruptions in 1975 and 1984.
Mauna Loa was last at an ADVISORY/YELLOW in early 2010 following increased rates of ground deformation during the rapid inflation of the volcano in 2004-2005. No eruption resulted and after the inflation slowed the status of Mauna Loa was returned to green, or normal. It was preceded by as much as three years of elevated pure catastrophe exercise. “HVO is monitoring it, and if there is any change that we will alert the emergency managers and notify the public”. It is possible to receive these updates via email by signing up for HVO notices through the free USGS Volcano Notification Service.
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“Over the past year we’ve been locating, on average, around 150 earthquakes per month”, says Weston Thelen with the U.S.G.S. who says normally, fewer than 40 earthquakes a month are reported.
