The world’s largest active volcano erupted for the first time in 40 years

long hillThe world’s largest active volcano has begun to erupt Ashes and rubble Inside Hawaii Almost for the first time 40 years. Officials warned residents to be prepared in case lava flows into their communities.

The eruption began Sunday night at the volcano’s summit caldera on the Big Island. A series of strong earthquakes One after another, said Ken Hahn, scientist in charge of the Hawaii Volcanology Observatory.

Magma moved to the surfaceAlthough the lava was contained to the summit area, it did not threaten nearby communities.

A time-lapse video of the eruption taken at night shows molten lava lighting up the caldera and moving through it like waves in the ocean.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has obtained some photographs suggesting the southern end of the caldera. overflowingThat caused some lava flows to come within a few kilometers (miles) of the caldera, Hahn said.

The last eruption occurred in 1984. In some previous emergencies, lava overflowed from the caldera. It does not come close to populated areas.

“About half of Mauna Loa’s recorded eruptions are confined to the caldera area, without posing any danger to nearby people,” explained the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.

“Right now we’re looking at the signs, trying to figure out if it’s an eruption at the top of Mauna Loa or if it’s going southwest or west down one of the rift zones. “Northeast,” Hahn said.

“We don’t want to try to guess the volcano,” Hahn explained. “It should allow us to show what it’s going to do and then quickly let people know what’s going on.

According to officials, there is currently no indication that the eruption is moving towards a fissure zone. A rift zone is where the mountain is split, the rock is cracked and relatively weak, making it easier for magma to escape.

“Right now, there’s no need to panic,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

No eviction order has been issued yet.

The U.S. National Weather Service said parts of the island received “less than a quarter of an inch” of ash, so they advised people with respiratory problems to stay indoors to avoid inhaling the ash. Particles in the air.

The Mauna Loa volcano is located a few kilometers from Kilauea, which erupted in 2018 and destroyed more than 700 homes, forcing many residents to move.

With information from AP and EFE