Mauna Loa: How Well Do You Know the Volcano in Your Backyard?
April 11, 2011, 7:00-8:30 p.m. ENCORE PRESENTATION, BY POPULAR DEMAND at the Lyman Museum.
Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, comprises more than half the surface area of Hawai`i Island. Mapping and dating have shown that 98% of this active volcano is covered with lava flows less than 10,000 years old, and since 1843 it has erupted 33 times. When Mauna Loa erupts, fast-moving and voluminous lava flows can reach the sea in hours, cutting off roads and utilities, repaving the volcano’s flanks, and building new land. The growth of Mauna Loa is far from complete, as this huge and lovely volcano will assuredly erupt again. This evening, volcanologist Frank Trusdell returns for a further discussion of Mauna Loa’s eruptive history and current status.
