History is currently being made in Hawaii. For the first time in almost 4 decades, the island’s Mauna Loa volcano has erupted.
The last time that lava spewed from the 4,169-mile-high volcano was in 1984. For context, that was the year that Ronald Reagan was elected as President of the United States and Steve Jobs launched the first Mac computer.
Named Mauna Loa, which is Hawaiian for “long mountain”, it is the largest active volcano in the world and is located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. At around 11:30 PM on November 27, an eruption began at the volcano’s summit in Moku‘āweoweo after more than a dozen minor earthquakes occurred. Just a month before, the National Park Service had closed the volcano summit to visitors “due to elevated seismic activity on Mauna Loa and as a precautionary measure.”
Thousands have now flocked to see glimpses of the lava, but officials are warning that the molten matter could slide across the highway and make the road impassable. At present, the lava is around 2.7 miles from the road.
If Mauna Loa decides to follow historical patterns, the eruption is expected to continue for 1-2 weeks.