Mauna Loa is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanic peaks that together form the Island of Hawaii. In Hawaiian, mauna loa means "long mountain". The summit caldera of the volcano is called Moku‘āweoweo. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest volcano and is the exposed (subareal) part of an enormous mid-ocean mountain. Indeed, it is the Earth's largest mountain, with a volume estimated at 10,000 cubic miles (42,000 km³) and a height—measured from its base some 5000 m (over 16,000 ft) below the ocean surface to the highest point at 4,170 m (13,680 ft) above sea level—of over 9,000 m (> 30,000 ft). Mauna Loa is about 36 m (120 ft) lower than its neighbor, Mauna Kea.
Mauna Loa is part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
There have been some 33 eruptions of Mauna Loa in historical time, the last in March-April, 1984.
Scientific observations
The elevation and location of Mauna Loa have made it an important location for atmospheric and other scientific observations. The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO), located at 3,400 m (11,155 ft) on the northern slope of the mountain, has long been prominent in observations of the Sun. The NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), located close by, monitors the global atmosphere at its location well above local influences. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has been measured regularly since 1958 and shows the steadily increasing trend associated with the "greenhouse effect" and global warming.
Mauna Loa is itself observed by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Other Hawaiian volcanoes
Other prominent Hawaiian volcanoes are Kīlauea, Hualālai, Mauna Kea, and Haleakalā.
See also: List of volcanoes
External links
Related images
A graph depicting CO2 levels.
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National parks on Hawaii.
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Offerings of fruit at a crater rim
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Walking across the lava flow at the coast
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Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
