Dual-eruption event could lead to influx of people hoping to catch a glimpse of Hawaii's Mauna Loa, Kilauea
The United States Geological Survey said the eruption began in Moku‘āweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, around 11:30 p.m. Sunday but migrated from there to the Northeast Rift Zone by early Monday morning.
Watch: Mauna Loa joins Kilauea to create rare "dual-eruption" event in Hawaii
Officials at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park expects an influx of visitors to the park in order to catch a glimpse of Mauna Loa and Kilauea during a rare dual-eruption event.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii awoke from a nearly 40-year slumber when it began to erupt on Sunday night, and officials at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are expecting an influx of curious visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of a rare dual-eruption event from that volcano as well as from Kilauea, which has been erupting since last year.
ERUPTION OF HAWAII'S MAUNA LOA VOLCANO SENDS LAVA SHOOTING HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR
Lava from Kīlauea volcano lava lake is seen to the left of the photo, and a magnificent glow from Mauna Loa, upper right, sets the morning sky aglow.
(Joyce Ibasan/National Parks Service / FOX Weather)
Scientists had been keeping an eye on Mauna Loa over the past few months when the world's largest active volcano began showing signs of increased seismic activity, including a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that shook Hawaii's Big Island in October.
The United States Geological Survey said the eruption began in Moku‘āweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, around 11:30 p.m. Sunday but migrated from there to the Northeast Rift Zone by early Monday morning.
HAWAII'S MAUNA LOA, WORLD'S LARGEST ACTIVE VOLCANO, ERUPTS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1984
Watch: Firefighters survey Hawaii's Mauna Loa eruption from the air
Firefighters captured video of Mauna Loa's eruption from a helicopter on Monday afternoon.
And as Mauna Loa's eruption got underway, it joined the eruption of Kilauea, which began erupting on Sept. 29, 2021.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains open. However, officials have closed off some sections of the park to visitors.
"For everyone's safety, the park closed Mauna Loa Road from the gate at Kīpukapuaulu Monday morning to vehicles," the park said in a Facebook post. "The summit, cabins and high-elevation areas of Mauna Loa have been closed since early October when the volcano began to show signs of unrest and increased seismicity. In addition, Mauna Loa Observatory Road, outside of the park, is also closed to the public."
Now the park is preparing for more visitors hoping to see both volcanoes erupting simultaneously.
Viewing areas along Kilauea caldera before sunrise on Monday showed a glowing sky from the Mauna Loa caldera, Mokuʻāweoweo, and a smaller lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea.
Officials say neither eruption is threatening homes or other buildings, and the lava associated with Kilauea has been confined to the summit lava lake.
"Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is keeping close watch on Mauna Loa in tandem with our colleagues at USGS and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense," said Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. "The park is currently open, but visitors should be prepared and stay informed."