As of 4:00PM on Sunday, December 4, 2022, HVO reports that the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa continues with fissure 3 feeding lava flow downslope.

The lava, which is traveling north toward the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, has reached flatter ground and slowed down significantly over the past several days.  Mauna Loa’s Current Volcano Alert Level is now at a WARNING and its Current Aviation Color Code has been reduced from RED to ORANGE.

As of Noon on Sunday, December 4, the flow front was about 2.25 miles from the Daniel K. Inouye Highway.  Where the fissure 3 lava channel is branching, on the steeper slopes of the Northeast flank about half way down the lava flow, there were several small overflows recorded over the past day.

Advance rates may be highly variable over the coming days and weeks. On the flat ground between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, lava flows advance more slowly, spread out, and inflate. Individual lobes may advance quickly, and then stall. Additional breakouts may occur if lava channels get blocked upslope. There are many variables at play and both the direction and timing of flow advances are expected to change over periods of hours to days, making it difficult to estimate when or if the flow will impact Daniel K. Inouye Highway.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates of approximately 180,000 tonnes per day (t/d) were measured on December 1, 2022 and remain elevated at this time. Volcanic gas is rising high and vertically into the atmosphere before being blown to the west at high altitude, generating vog in areas downwind. The International Volcanic Health Hazard Network has detailed information about vog: https://vog.ivhhn.org/.

Tremor continues beneath the currently active fissures. This indicates that magma is still being supplied to the fissure, and activity is likely to continue as long as we see this signal.

There is no active lava within Moku’āweoweo caldera nor the Southwest Rift Zone. HVO does not expect any eruptive activity outside the Northeast Rift Zone.

Eruption maps can be found at https://www.usgs.gov/maps/december-4-2022-mauna-loa-eruption-map

 

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