stock here, these are live cams. Big Eruption July 28,29
How did this get by me? An Eruption of Mauna Loa 12-8-26
What happened
Mauna Loa began erupting at about 11:30 p.m. HST on November 27, 2022, initially inside its summit caldera, Mokuʻāweoweo. It was Mauna Loa’s first eruption since 1984. Within hours, activity migrated into the volcano’s Northeast Rift Zone, where several long cracks—or fissures—opened.
Most of the eruption eventually concentrated at Fissure 3. That vent produced:
- Pulsating lava fountains
- A growing spatter and cinder cone
- Fast-moving channelized lava near the vent
- Broad, rough ʻaʻā lava flows farther downhill
The main flow traveled northward and approached Saddle Road, causing considerable concern because that highway is the principal cross-island route between Hilo and Kona. The flow front eventually stalled about 1.7 miles—2.8 km—from the highway.
What was happening on December 8
By the morning of December 8, the magma supply had dropped sharply. Fissure 3 was still erupting, but the fountains and lava output were diminishing. New lava was mostly spilling around the vent and traveling no farther than about 2.5 miles—4 km—from Fissure 3. The older downhill channels were draining and were no longer effectively feeding the distant flow front.
So the stream may look extremely violent close to the vent, but by then the eruption was actually winding down. Mauna Loa stopped erupting on December 10, 2022. The lava crossed and buried part of Mauna Loa Observatory Road but did not reach Saddle Road or populated communities