Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano is sending signals that it may erupt with the roar of earthquakes

Hawaii officials are warning residents of the Big Island that the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, is sending signals that it may erupt.

Scientists say a volcanic eruption is not imminent, but they are on alert due to the recent spike in earthquakes at the volcano’s summit. Experts say it will only take a few hours for the lava to reach the homes closest to the vents of the volcano, which last erupted in 1984.

The Hawaii Civil Defense Agency is holding meetings across the island to educate residents on how to prepare for a potential emergency. They recommend getting a “go” bag with food, deciding a place to stay once they leave home and making a plan for family reunions with family members.

“Don’t worry everyone, but they should be aware that you live on the slopes of Mauna Loa. There is a possibility of some sort of lava disaster,” said Talmadge Magnu, Hawaii County Civil Defense Officer.

Magnu said the volcano makes up 51% of the island of Hawaii, so a large portion of the island is likely to be affected by a volcanic eruption.

Mauna Loa, which rises 13,679 feet above sea level, is the much larger neighbor of Kilauea volcano, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018. Some of its slopes are steeper than Kilauea, so when it erupts, its lava can flow much faster.

During the 1950 eruption, Mount Honokoa’s lava flow traveled 15 miles into the ocean in less than three hours.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, part of the US Geological Survey, said Mauna Loa has been in “escalating turbulence” since the middle of last month when the number of summit quakes jumped from 10 to 20 per day to 40 to 50 per day.

Scientists believe that more earthquakes are caused by more magma flowing into the Mauna Loa summit reservoir system from the subsurface hotspot that feeds molten rock to Hawaii’s volcanoes.

The frequency of earthquakes has decreased in recent days, but it may rise again.

More than 220 people attended a community meeting last weekend held by county civil defense officials in Ocean View, a neighborhood where lava can reach within hours if molten rock erupts through vents on the southwest side of Mauna Loa.

Bob Werner, an Ocean View resident who did not attend the meeting, said it’s wise to be aware of a potential eruption but not be afraid of it. He’s not worried that the neighborhood would be completely cut off, if lava flows through the only road that connects it to the major cities of Kailua-Kona and Hilo, where many people do their shopping.

“The biggest concern is that it would be too annoying to drive an extra hour or two to get the same things,” he said.

Ryan Williams, owner of the Margarita Village bar in Hilo, said the volcanic disturbances weren’t worrying customers who were used to the warnings.

There is still a growing sense of urgency as officials have held municipal meetings, urging people to prepare.

“But everything I’ve read or heard, they’re kind of trying to reassure people that conditions haven’t changed,” Williams said. “No eruption imminent, but just to be vigilant.”

Magnu said his agency is talking to residents now because the communities closest to the vents likely won’t have time to learn how to respond and prepare once the observatory raises its alert level to “watch,” which means an eruption is imminent.

The current alert level is “advisory” which means the volcano is showing signs of unrest but there is no indication that an eruption is likely or confirmed.

Residents in other parts of the island will have more time to respond.

Lava from the northeastern flank of Mauna Loa can take days or weeks to reach residential communities. That’s because the mountain slopes on this side are relatively gentle and the towns are far from the volcanic vents.

All Mauna Loa eruptions in recorded history began in its summit crater, said Frank Trusdale, a research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. About half of them remained there, while the other half later released lava from vents below the mountain.

Lava emanating from the summit generally does not travel far enough to reach residential areas.

Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1843. It last erupted in 1984 when lava flowed on its eastern side to stop 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from Hilo, the most populous city on the Big Island.

Mauna Loa also has a rich history with huge volumes of lava.

In the 1950 eruption, which lasted for 23 days, Mauna Loa released 1,000 cubic meters of lava per second. In contrast, Kilauea released 300 cubic meters per second in 2018.

File – Molten rock flows from Mauna Loa, located in the south-central part of the island of Hawaii, on April 4, 1984. Hawaiian officials warn residents of the Big Island to prepare for the possibility of an eruption of the world’s largest active volcano. Looking at the recent spike in earthquakes at the summit of Mauna Loa. Scientists don’t expect the volcano to erupt soon, but officials are reminding people that lava may reach some homes within a few hours when it does. (Photo / AP file) AP

Earthquakes can last for a while before an eruption: the increased quakes lasted for a year before the 1975 eruption and a year and a half before the 1984 eruption. Alternatively, earthquakes can subside and Mauna Loa may not erupt this time.

There has been a spurt of development on the Big Island in recent decades—its population more than doubled to 200,000 today from 92,000 in 1980—and not many new residents existed when Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. All of this is all the more reason why Magno says officials are spreading the word about volcano science and urging people to get ready.

Trusdell said residents should look at his agency’s maps and see how quickly lava appears in their area. He also urged people living in one of the short-notice areas to be alert if the top turns red.

“All you have to do is look in there and see the glow. You grab your things, throw them in the car and drive. Go!” He said.

He said they can always go home afterward if the lava does not eventually flow into their area.

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Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen contributed to this report from Anchorage, Alaska.

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