Lava from Mauna Loa has started to flow down the mountainside during the night. The volcano is the world’s largest active volcano. The last time it erupted was in 1984. The activity now comes after the longest pause in the volcano’s known history. The outbreak began last night. Then there was activity only in the central crater at the top. It did not lead to lava flows down the mountainside. During the night to Tuesday Norwegian time, several cracks in the mountainside opened up. Then the lava started to flow down. FLOWING FAST: A series of lava flows are now descending from the volcano. Photo: USGS Flows fast Lava from Mauna Loa is known to be thin. That means it moves fast. The researchers report that no inhabited areas are directly threatened now. They warn that could change. – Right now we simply do not know what will happen, said researcher Ken Hon during a press conference on Monday. She is a researcher in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. He urges people to be ready to flee. LAVA: The glowing streams of molten rock come out of a crack in the mountainside. The current moves down the volcano in a north-easterly direction. Photo: USGS Flowing the right way On Tuesday, the lava is flowing to the northeast. It is happening in an area that was previously marked as particularly vulnerable. There are no people there. There is also no vulnerable infrastructure. SEEING IT FROM THE HOUSE: A Norwegian tipster has sent this picture to news. He rents a house in Hawaii. Photo: Edvin Austreim Nature itself is not likely to be particularly damaged. There have been many eruptions since the island was formed. It is half a million years old. Plants struggle to establish themselves on the fresh stone ground. This is especially true where lava flows often occur. ON STONE GROUND: Plants are found in large quantities on the island of Hawaii. It is in areas where it has been a long time since the lava solidified. Photo: Landsat 7/Nasa Things are going well The eruption occurs in a chain of islands collectively known as Hawaii. The American state consists of 137 islands. The largest island is also called Hawaii. That’s where Mauna Loa is. The population is well acquainted with volcanoes. The islands are made of lava. There is often volcanic activity in the state, but it is rare that it results in loss of life. The last person to die in an eruption was a photographer in 1924. GONE WRONG: Almost a hundred years ago there were a series of explosions in the Kīlauea volcano. An unlucky photographer was hit by a large rock and lost his life. Photo: Maehara, K Tourist magnets Eruptions that do not cause damage are generally welcomed by the population of the archipelago. Volcanoes attract tourists. Tourism is a significant part of the state’s economy. The website Hawaii News Now has a positive story about this today. – The outbreak is likely to give a boost to winter tourism, is the title of one of the cases.
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