The eruption of Mauna Loa in December 2022 T. Orr, U.S. Geological Survey
It may be possible to forecast the next eruption of Hawai’i’s Mauna Loa – the world’s largest active volcano – more than two months in advance thanks to a new understanding of what triggers its eruptions.
“Hawai’i is often seen as this place in volcanology where it’s so well-studied we must know everything about it, but in the 2020s there are still things yet to be discovered,” says Kendra Lynn at the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
![Small dome in the Compton-Belkovich region (61.33 ?N, 99.68 ?E). Evidence indicates a volcanic origin for this and other intriguing features in the region. Incidence angle is 64?, Sun is from the SSW, image is ~510 m across. NAC image number M139238146L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].](https://images.newscientistbeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/07172644/SEI_163208069.jpg)
