Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 32, Number 10, 1 October 2015 — Mauna Loa alert level elevated [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mauna Loa alert level elevated

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory elevated the Volcano Alert for Mauna Loa from "normal" to "advisory." Scientists say the change in status indicates the volcano is showing signs of unrest. However the designation does not mean a Mauna Loa eruption is imminent or certain. The observatory's seismic stations have recorded elevated rates of shallow, small-magnitude earthquakes on the mountain for the past year, while it has also measured inflation on Mauna Loa consistent with recharge of the volcano's shallow magma storage system. "It's possible that the increased level of activity at Mauna Loa could continue for many months, or years, without leading to an eruption," said Tina Neal, Hawai'i Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge. "It is also possible that the current unrest could be a precursor to the next eruption of Mauna Loa. But at this early stage, we cannot determine precisely whieh possibility is more likely." Mauna Loa last erupted for three weeks in 1984. The eruption was preceded by up to three years of earthquake activity.

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Gas monitoring atop Mauna Loa. - rhoto: Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey