Volcanoes (Mauna Loa)

Written by: Caroline Kim

December 10, 2022

Current news has spiraled around the eruption of the volcano, Mauna Loa, in Hawaii after nearly 40 years. Today we’ll dive into how volcanoes form and how their eruptions such as the one in Hawaii impacts the environment in the big picture. National Geographic defines a volcano as “... an opening in the Earth's surface through which lava, volcanic ash, and gasses escape” (What is a Volcano?). These structures almost all have some fundamental features in common: earth’s crust, old layers of lava, vent, ash cloud, lava flow, magma, and a magma chamber (What is a Volcano?).

The first image that comes to mind might be a big mountain with explosive lava, but there are actually a variety of volcanoes (cinder cone, shield, composite, caldera, lava dome, and submarine) (What is a Volcano?). Though these engrossing pockets of earth can be fatal and have serious detriments to life on earth, they also provide benefits such as mineral deposits, fertile soil, land creation, and geothermal energy (What is a Volcano?). Volcanoes often form from tectonic plate movement, which is why approximately ¾ of earth’s volcanoes lie in the ring of fire along the Pacific (What is a Volcano?). In terms of the type of eruption that occurs, the culprit is the viscosity of the lava as well as the gas contents that comprise the volcano.

The Mauna Loa shield is not only the largest volcano on earth, but is also one of the largest single mountain masses (Britannica). This high risk volcano that began erupting this November 27, 2022 has had major basalt flows and erupted last in 1984 (Mauna Loa). Other than the danger that its eruption poses to humans and animals, there are some significant environmental impacts that volcanoes can cause. According to the USGS, “ … volcanic gas, aerosol droplets, and ash are injected into the stratosphere… falls rapidly from the stratosphere… removed within several days to week… volcanic gasses like sulfur dioxide can cause global cooling, while volcanic carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, has the potential to promote global warming” (Volcanoes Can Affect Climate). As mentioned in previous blogs here, these global impacts of climate change impact the arctic, have positive feedback, threaten biodiversity, and can contribute to resource depletion. However, there are some more immediate threats that volcanic eruptions can have on humans such as respiratory issues, power outages, infrastructure damage, reduced water quality, and crop/vegetation destruction (Zuskin). Though natural disasters such as are less predictable, quick response and preparation can minimize the hazards and consequences.

Sources:

“What Is a Volcano?” Forces of Nature, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/forces-nature/volcanoes.html#:~:text=Magma%20rises%20from%20the%20hot,were%20formed%20in%20this%20way.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Mauna Loa". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Nov. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mauna-Loa. Accessed 10 December 2022.

“Mauna Loa.” Mauna Loa | U.S. Geological Survey, https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa.

“Volcanoes Can Affect Climate.” Volcanoes Can Affect Climate | U.S. Geological Survey, https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanoes-can-affect-climate.

Zuskin, Eugenija et al. “Ucinci vulkanskih erupcija na okolis i zdravlje” [Effects of volcanic eruptions on environment and health]. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju vol. 58,4 (2007): 479-86. doi:10.2478/v10004-007-0041-3