How Often Does Mauna Loa Erupt?
Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the world's largest active volcano and one of the tallest mountains in the world at more than 13,000 feet above sea level. Its mystique is ingrained in the history of the Hawaiian people. Its fury has been recorded 39 times during the past 150 years.
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Time Frame
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Mauna Loa's first recorded eruption was speculated to have been in 1780, not long after Captain Cook first appeared on the island, but it has been active far longer than that. Some estimates place its first eruption at 1 million years ago, with its first subaerial eruption at just more than 400,000 years ago.
Frequency
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From the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s, Mauna Loa erupted more than 30 times. Since 1950, it has only erupted three times. Its last eruption was March 1984.
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Myth
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Pele was a mythical figure in Hawaiian history, the goddess of fire, who made her home on Mauna Loa. It was believed Pele would send her white dog down to warn others when an eruption was imminent. A white dog was spotted by many people just before the volcano's eruption in 1959.
Eruption Cycle
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Scientists have hypothesized that eruptions on Mauna Loa follow a 2,000-year cycle that alternate rift zone and summit eruptions. Studies suggest since the volcano's caldera has recently neared capacity, there should be fewer eruptions at the flanks and more coming from the summit, thus beginning a new eruption cycle.
Effects
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The eruptions of Mauna Loa have impacted Hawaii and the surrounding areas in many ways. Eruptions have caused destruction through lava flows, earthquakes and tsunamis, in particular the 1868 eruption that led to the death of up to 80 people.
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