Mauna Loa volcano eruption could end soon, threat level lowered by U.S. geologists

Authorities lowered the alert level for the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii’s main island from an imminent warning to a watch on Saturday, saying the mountain’s first eruption in nearly four decades may soon come to an end.

A bulletin released by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the eruption on the mountain’s northeast rift zone was continuing, but that volcanic gas emissions and lava output were “greatly reduced.”

“High eruption rates will not resume based on past eruptive behavior and current behavior suggests that the eruption may end soon,” the U.S. scientists reported. “However, an inflationary trend of Mauna Loa’s summit is accompanying the decreased activity and there is a small possibility that the eruption could continue at very low eruptive rates.”

According to the report, a lava flow front “stagnated” just two miles from Saddle Road, a thoroughfare commonly used by Hawaiian residents and visitors to travel between coastal resorts on the west to the eastern city of Hilo.

Earlier this week, U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Saddle Road was no longer in imminent danger from flowing lava.

Mauna Loa – also the name of a famed Macadamia Nut brand –  started flowing lava on Nov. 27 after 38 years of dormancy. The event drew both fears, spectators and tourists alike.

For many Native Hawaiians, the eruption had a spiritual meaning as they view such events as a sign that it is a time to show respect for lost ancestors and both the natural and spiritual worlds.

“A volcanic eruption is a physical manifestation of so many natural and spiritual forces for Hawaiians,” said Ilihia Gionson in an interview with the Associated Press. Gionson, a Hawaii Tourism Authority spokeswoman who is also an island resident and Native Hawaiian, added that, “people who are unfamiliar with that should understand that it’s a very personal, very significant thing.”

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said its scientists were monitoring the volcano closely, and that flights would continue to be barred in the area up to 1,500 feet above ground level.