The lava from Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, which erupted on November 27, is approaching one of the main highways on the island of Hawaii, US authorities announced Friday.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the “lava front” of one of the volcano’s flows is now “about 5.2 kilometers from Daniel Inouye Road,” known as “Saddle Road.”
This is the main axis to cross the island of Hawaii, the largest of this Pacific archipelago, from east to west, and its closure would force the inhabitants to take long detours.
The lava from Mauna Loa, which has not registered this type of phenomenon for 38 years, has decreased in recent days and the highest flow advanced this Thursday at “40 meters per hour,” according to the most recent USGS bulletin.
At this rate, it could hit the road “at least (…) in a week”, according to the USGS, which recalls, however, that there are “many variables” that can influence this forecast, in addition to the volatile nature of the rash
This remains contained on the northeastern side of the volcano and the authorities, who have not issued an evacuation order, still guarantee that the houses are kept out of danger.
The governor of Hawaii, David Ige, alerted residents and tourists on Wednesday of the “toxic vapors” escaping from the volcano, advising people with respiratory problems to wear a mask.
Winds can also blow away the volcanic glass fibers that form when lava droplets stretch out into fine filaments. Sharp as razor blades, they are dangerous to the skin and eyes.
Mauna Loa is one of the five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii (the island of Hawaii is the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago, thus giving its name to the US state of Hawaii).
At 4,169 meters above sea level, it is much higher than the Kilauea volcano, which erupted and destroyed 700 homes in a residential neighborhood in 2018.
Some of its sides are much steeper than Kilauea, so when it erupts, its lava can flow much faster.
During a 1950 eruption, lava from the mountain traveled 15 miles to the ocean in less than three hours.
Southeast of Mauna Loa, the Kilauea volcano is experiencing very continuous activity, with almost uninterrupted eruptions between 1983 and 2019. The most recent, smaller one, has been going on for several months.
Source: Observadora
