It was an ordinary day. Recently I have been reading about and observing the erupting Mauna Loa volcano that is located near Hilo, Hawaii. My wife and I, along with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue, have taken several vacations to Hawaii and love every island, or should I say volcano, that forms the State known as Hawaii. Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The largest subaerial volcano in both mass and volume, Mauna Loa has historically been considered the 2nd largest volcano on Earth, dwarfed only by Tamu Massif. It recently erupted on November 27, 2022 and was seen shooting lava 100 feet to 200 feet into the air. It is known as the world's largest active volcano, but has not erupted in the last 40 years...that is until November 27. I'm not sure how the four of us would have handled it if we had been on the island when it recently erupted. I'm sure it must be frightening for all who live on the island. For now, the lava doesn't seem to be threatening any homes or communities and no evacuations have been ordered, but the lava could reach neighborhoods if it begins to flow downhill. Mauna Loa is now spewing sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases. They form volcanic smog, or vog, when they mix with vapor, oxygen and dust in sunlight. As of now, the state is urging people to cut back on outdoor activities that cause heavy breathing. It has been 38 years since Mauna Loa last erupted and is the 34th eruption since written history began in 1843. Mauna Loa, also known as the Big Island, is the Southern most island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It's not the tallest, but it's the largest and makes up about half of the island's land mass. The Big Island is mostly rural and has cattle ranches as well as coffee farms. The county seat of Hilo has a population of 45,000 residents. Mauna Loa is not exploding much like Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington did in 1980. That eruption killed 57 people and sent ash soaring over 80,000 feet and raining down as far as 250 miles. The magna in Mount St. Helens was stickier and trapped more gas which made it more likely to explode when it rises. The magna in Mauna Loa is much hotter, drier and more fluid which allows the magma's gas to escape and lava to flow down the side of the volcano. Mauna Loa is a shield volcano, named so because the long, broad flanks built by repeated lava flows give it the appearance of a warrior's shield. Mauna Loa's lava could cover houses, farms or even neighborhoods depending upon the direction of the lava flow. But, it would take at least a week to do so, allowing residents to escape before the flow reaches their homes. The molten rock from the lava flow could cover houses, farms or neighborhoods, depending on where it flows. But, the lava would more than likely take more than a week to reach populated areas, which would allow time for residents to evacuate. Mauna Loa is presently releasing vog around the summit crater, which can give healthy people burning eyes, headaches and sore throats. If hot lava would erupt from a fissure and rapidly cool, it could form glass particles in the air which more than likely would not be harmful. As of now, those living near Mauna Loa just have to wait and hope that no harm will hit their part of the island. I'm sure the residents of the island are hoping for the best. Prayers are being offered for them to pull through with no harm. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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