HONOLULU (KHON2) — After a historic two eruption event on the Big Island, the USGS lowered the alert level for both Kilauea and Mauna Loa from Watch to Advisory, after the agency said both volcanoes have paused in activity. The aviation color codes were also changed from orange to yellow.
The lava supply to Halema’uma’u on Kilauea and the lava supply to Mauna Loa’s fissure 3 stopped on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10, respectively. Sulfur dioxide levels have significantly decreased at both volcanoes.
USGS is calling the apparent cease in activity a pause, stating that it will take around three months before they know whether the eruptions are, in fact, over.
Though both eruptions paused within several hours of each other, Ken Hon, Scientist-in-Charge at USGS’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said that Kilauea had started showing a trend in reduction in activity prior to Mauna Loa’s eruption. However, Mauna Loa’s activity could have expedited Kilauea’s pause.
There is the potential for the eruption to resume or for a new eruption to begin near the summit of Kilauea but based on historic events, USGS does not expect eruption activity to resume at Mauna Loa.
As lava cools around Mauna Loa’s fissure 3, a glow may continue to be seen for weeks.
Jessica Ferracane with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park said there is no longer a glow coming from Kilauea.
For two weeks, visitors flocked to Waldron Ledge at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, huddled along Daniel K. Inouye Highway and turned to the USGS’s webcam to watch the historic dual eruption as Pele showed her supremacy from both Kilauea and Mauna Loa.
“This is the first time I’ve seen two eruptions simultaneous,” said Hon, at the onset of Mauna Loa’s eruption.
Not to be outdone, Mauna Kea also showed off as snow topped, and continues to top, its summit.
Mauna Loa’s eruption threatened a main thoroughfare between Hilo and Kona but the lava flow stalled more than 1.5 miles from the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, several days before lava channels drained and the eruption paused.
Kilauea’s most recent eruption began in Halema’uma’u crater on September 29, 2021, after a month of increased earthquake activity and ground deformation. The entirety of the eruption occurred in the crater.
Mauna Loa began erupting the night of Nov. 27 and continued for around two weeks, a timeline that experts predicted, based on Mauna Loa’s past activity.
