All About Volcanoes , Hawaii & Congo

When it comes to visiting the Hawaiian Islands, you may not readily envision a volcano when all you have on your mind is a luau and luscious pineapple. However, you will learn that this United States gem is home to one of the largest volcanoes in the world.

6) Mauna Loa (Hawaii)

With cool breezes and beautiful weather, Hawaii is home to some of the most gorgeous beaches, as well as one of the largest volcanoes in the world – Mauna Loa, which translates into “Long Mountain.” The island of Hawaii is home to five volcanoes surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Some of the characteristics associated with Mauna Loa include silica-poor lava eruptions that produce very fluid movements. Because of this, eruptions are usually non-explosive. The volcano also displays slopes that are shallow.

It is thought that the volcano has been active for at least 700,000 years, emerging from under the sea close to 400,000 years ago. Oddly enough, scientists researching the volcano have found rocks that date back to 200,000 years ago. The Hawaiian island is built upon the magma that spews from the Hawaii hotspot. In the future, it is predicted that the shifting of the Pacific Plate will eventually move the volcano away from the hotspot , causing Mauna Loa to become extinct within less than 500,000 years into the future.

When taking a look at the most recent eruption of Mauna Loa, you will find that it started in March of 1984 and continued until April 15th, 1984. None of the eruptions that have occurred in recent times has taken the lives of any residents or tourists. However, this was not the case in the past. Between 1926 and 1950, entire villages fell in the path of the destructive Mauna Loa. Yet, Mauna Loa still poses danger to those who live in the area. It is still considered a rather dangerous volcano to contend with. The late 19th century also saw rebuilding, as the city of Hilo is partly in existence because of the local lava flows. Ever since 1912, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has been keeping a close eye on the activity of Mauna Loa.

7) Mount Nyriagongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Situated in the Virunga Mountains, you will find Mount Nyriagongo , a resident of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , located not too far from the town of Goma and Lake Kivu. The main crater of the volcano measures 2 kilometers wide and is sometimes known to house a lake made out of lava. When it comes to analyzing the volcanic eruptions attached to the historical record of Africa, Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira (which is not too far) is responsible for 40%.

The history of Nyriagongo is relatively unknown, as researchers are unclear on just how long the volcano has been erupting. What they do know is that it has erupted at least 34 times since 1882. At times, it has been known to show periods of time where the activity ceased to stop for years at a time. Thanks to the crater that serves as home to a lava lake.