Mauna Loa--History, Hazards, and Risk of Living With the World's Largest Volcano

Mauna Loa—History, Hazards, and Risk of Living With the World’s Largest Volcano

By Frank A. Trusdell

Summary

Mauna Loa on the Island Hawaiʻi is the world’s largest volcano. People residing on its flanks face many hazards that come with living on or near an active volcano, including lava flows, explosive eruptions, volcanic smog, damaging earthquakes, and local tsunami (giant seawaves). The County of Hawaiʻi (Island of Hawaiʻi) is the fastest growing County in the State of Hawaii. Its expanding population and increasing development mean that risk from volcano hazards will continue to grow. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) closely monitor and study Mauna Loa Volcano to enable timely warning of hazardous activity and help protect lives and property.

First posted October 17, 2012

Report PDF (6.2 MB)

This report is also available in print from:

USGS Information Services, Box 25286,
Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
telephone: 888 ASK-USGS; e-mail: infoservices@usgs.gov

For additional information:
Contact HVO
Volcano Science Center, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
U.S. Geological Survey
P.O. Box 51, 1 Crater Rim Road
Hawaii National Park, HI 96718-0051
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

Trusdell, F.A., 2012, Mauna Loa—history, hazards, and risk of living with the world’s largest volcano: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2012–3104, 4 p. (Available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2012/3104/.)