About the volcano
Mauna Loa makes up about half of Hawaii's Big Island and is the world's largest active volcano by volume. Measured from the floor of the Pacific, it is far taller than Mount Everest. Its eruptions are effusive – long lava flows run towards the sea and have repeatedly threatened the town of Hilo. After a 38-year pause it erupted again in November 2022. The Mauna Loa Observatory on its northern flank has measured the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958.
Eruption history
VEI – Volcanic Explosivity Index: 0 = lava outpouring, 4 = like Eyjafjallajökull 2010, 6 = like Pinatubo 1991, 7 = like Tambora 1815. The scale is logarithmic – each step is about 10 times more material.
| Start | End | VEI | Vent and dating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 November 2022 | 10 December 2022 | 0 | Moku‘aweoweo, Northeast Rift Zone · Observations: Reported |
| 25 March 1984 | 15 April 1984 | 0 | Moku'aweoweo, SW and NE rift zones · Observations: Reported |
| 5 July 1975 | 6 July 1975 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and NE and SW rift zones, · Observations: Reported |
| 1 June 1950 | 23 June 1950 | 0 | SW rift zone (2440 m) · Observations: Reported |
| 6 January 1949 | 31 May 1949 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and SW rift zone · Observations: Reported |
| 26 April 1942 | 10 May 1942 | 0 | NE rift zone (2800 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 7 April 1940 | 18 August 1940 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and SW rift zone · Observations: Reported |
| 21 November 1935 | 2 January 1936 | 0 | NE rift zone (3690 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 2 December 1933 | 18 December 1933 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 10 April 1926 | 28 April 1926 | 0 | SW rift (2320 m) · Observations: Reported |
| 26 September 1919 | 5 November 1919 | 0 | SW rift zone (3450 and 2350 m) · Observations: Reported |
| 19 May 1916 | 30 May 1916 | 0 | SW rift zone (3000 and 2250 m) · Observations: Reported |
| 25 November 1914 | 11 January 1915 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 9 January 1907 | 24 January 1907 | 0 | SW rift zone (1890 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 1 September 1903 | 7 December 1903 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 1 July 1899 | 23 July 1899 | 1 | NE rift zone (3260 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 21 April 1896 | 6 May 1896 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 30 November 1892 | 3 December 1892 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 16 January 1887 | 28 January 1887 | 0 | SW rift zone (1740 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 5 November 1880 | 10 August 1881 | 1 | NE rift zone (3170 m) · Observations: Reported |
| 1 May 1880 | 6 May 1880 | 1 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 9 March 1879 | 9 March 1879 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 14 February 1877 | 24 February 1877 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo, submarine west flank · Observations: Reported |
| 13 February 1876 | 14 February 1876 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 11 August 1875 | 18 August 1875 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 10 January 1875 | 9 February 1875 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 20 April 1873 | 19 October 1874 | 1 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 6 January 1873 | 7 January 1873 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 9 August 1872 | 16 September 1872 | 1 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 10 August 1871 | 30 August 1871 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 27 March 1868 | 22 April 1868 | 2 | SW rift zone (1000 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 30 December 1865 | 29 April 1866 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 23 January 1859 | 25 November 1859 | 1 | North flank (2800 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 11 August 1855 | 16 November 1856 | 1 | NE rift zone (3200 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 17 February 1852 | 11 March 1852 | 2 | NE rift zone (2560 m) and Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 8 August 1851 | 11 August 1851 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and SW rift zone · Observations: Reported |
| 16 May 1849 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Observations: Reported |
| 9 January 1843 | 10 April 1843 | 0 | North flank, Mokuaweoweo and NE rift · Observations: Reported |
| 20 June 1832 | 15 July 1832 | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and adjacent vents · Observations: Reported |
| c. 1750 | — | 0 | North flank (2380 m) and SW rift zone? · Observations: Reported |
| c. 1730 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1685 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1680 | — | 0 | NW flank · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1650 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1640 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1540 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1510 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1500 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1470 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1440 | — | 0 | NE rift zone and NW flank · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1390 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1370 | — | 0 | NE rift zone and Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1360 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1310 | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1190 | — | 0 | NE rift zone and Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1170 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1130 | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1070 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1040 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 940 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 830 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and NW flank · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 810 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 680 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 630 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 600 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 550 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 480 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 450 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 350 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 300 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 200 | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 150 | — | 0 | SE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 100 | — | 0 | SE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 50 | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 30 BCE | — | 0 | NE and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 60 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 80 BCE | — | 0 | SE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 200 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 300 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 400 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 500 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 600 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 950 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,300 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo and NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,650 BCE | — | 0 | NE and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,700 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,750 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,800 BCE | — | 0 | NW and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 1,900 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,000 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,050 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,150 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,250 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,350 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 2,750 BCE | — | 0 | NE and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 3,250 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 3,350 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 3,750 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 4,250 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 5,350 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 5,650 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 5,850 BCE | — | 0 | NE and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 6,250 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 6,550 BCE | — | 0 | Mokuaweoweo · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 6,650 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 7,150 BCE | — | 0 | NE and SW rift zones · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 7,350 BCE | — | 0 | SW rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 7,550 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 7,850 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| c. 8,050 BCE | — | 0 | NE rift zone · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
Data: Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (#332020) · Wikipedia (pl) · Wikipedia (en)