Mauna Loa alert lowered, eruption nearing end: scientists

Scientists on Saturday lowered the alert level for the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island from a warning to a watch, saying the mountain’s first eruption in almost 40 years could soon end.

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a bulletin that the eruption in the mountain’s northeast rift zone is ongoing, but lava flow and volcanic gas emissions are “sharply reduced.”

“High eruption rates are not resuming due to past eruption behavior, and current behavior suggests the eruption may end soon,” the observatory said. “However, an inflationary trend from the Mauna Loa summit accompanies the reduced activity, and there is a small possibility that the eruption could continue with very low eruption rates.”

Meanwhile, a lava flow front was said to be nearly 2 miles off Saddle Road, the major highway that residents and tourists alike use to travel between the city of Hilo on the east side of the island and coastal towns to the west.

Scientists said earlier this week that the road is no longer under immediate threat from the lava, allaying fears it could be cut off.

Mauna Loa began spewing molten rock on November 27 after being dormant for 38 years, drawing spectators to enjoy the blistering spectacle and unnerving some early on among people who had experienced destructive eruptions. For many native Hawaiians, the phenomenon has deep yet deeply personal cultural significance.

The observatory said its scientists would continue to closely monitor the volcano, and flight restrictions remained in effect in the area up to 1,500 feet above the ground.