Volcanic Unrest at Mauna Loa, Earth’s Largest Active Volcano

[rangerrebew]

 Volcanic Unrest at Mauna Loa, Earth’s Largest Active Volcano

Mauna Loa is stirring—is a major eruption imminent? Comparisons with previous eruptions paint a complicated picture.
 

By Weston Albert Thelen, Asta Miklius, and Christina Neal 16 October 2017

Mauna Loa is showing persistent signs of volcanic unrest. Since 2014, increased seismicity and deformation indicate that Mauna Loa, the volcano that dominates more than half of the island of Hawaiʻi, may be building toward its first eruption since 1984.

Thousands of residents and key infrastructure are potentially at risk from lava flows, so a critical question is whether the volcano will follow patterns of previous eruptions or return to its now historically unprecedented 33-year slumber.

https://eos.org/features/volcanic-unrest-at-mauna-loa-earths-largest-active-volcano

[catfish1957]

Geez, just what we need with all the other natural disasters in the past couple of months.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

It is the largest, but certainly not historically the most destructive volcano out there.  Lots of other volcanoes have proven more lethal.

[Joe Wooten]

Hawaiian volcanoes generally do not erupt explosively. The lave is much less viscous, very runny in fact. 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Hawaiian volcanoes generally do not erupt explosively. The lave is much less viscous, very runny in fact.

Correct.  I recall my geology.  The hotspot that formed the Hawaiin Islands is large but mostly just pours lots of lava out over 70 million years non-violently.
Types of Volcanic Eruptions
http://geology.com/volcanoes/types-of-volcanic-eruptions/