the eruption
The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, is erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years. An ash warning has been issued in the surrounding area and emergency crews have been put on alert. “The lava flows are contained within the summit area and do not threaten downstream communities,” officials said on Monday. But the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has warned that this could change quickly. The alert level of the volcano has also been raised to the highest level. The latest eruption began Sunday evening at Moku’weoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera. Calderas are cavities that form under the summit after an eruption. If the eruption were to breach the walls of the summit caldera, the lava flows could “rapidly move downwards,” the USGC said. Mauna Loa last erupted in March and April 1984, with lava flows within 5 miles (8 km) of the city of Hilo.
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