Tag: 2022
Mauna Loa Erupts! What’s Next?
After a long period of unrest, Mauna Loa volcano began erupting near midnight on November 27th. Is this eruption a big frigging deal? Is it going to destroy major Hawaiian cities? How did we get here? Let’s delve!
First, you’ve gotta watch the first moments of the eruption though the USGS thermal camera at the summit. Watching a fissure split Moku’āweoweo caldera and fresh lava spill across the caldera floor is absolutely riveting:
Isn’t that gorgeous? I was mesmerized in the wee hours of the morning, refreshing the summit webcams and watching the eruption evolve. There’s something incredibly beautiful about fresh lava fountaining and flowing where it has absolutely zero chance of seriously ruining anyone’s day.
After resurfacing most of the caldera floor (which is a lot- the floor is nearly 15km² in area!), lava flows overtopped the crater rim to the southwest on the morning of November 28th. You could see lava from the coast! (more…)
Iceland Erupts! Geldingadalir’s Back, Baby, Yeah!
Iceland’s newest volcano is treating the Reykjanes Peninsula to a reprise in activity, and I’ve got all your volcano video needs covered right here. I was 95% sure this would happen when the eruption went on hiatus last year, and I’m so excited to see eruption activity resume. Hopefully it will behave as politely as last time, and avoid destroying any civilization while it treats us to a lava-ly* show.
First, Geology’s Hub’s announcement of the August 3rd reawakening:
Next up, one of my favorite Icelandic news sites broadcasts right from the edge of the eruption. (more…)