Volcano in United States
Mauna Loa volcano: eruption status today
Updated
No eruption of Mauna Loa is being reported right now Last eruption: 1964 or later; last significant eruption 1919 (NOAA NCEI).
Live status of Mauna Loa: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.
- Status now
- No open report
- Last eruption
- 1964 or later last significant: 1919
- Elevation
- 4,170 m 13,682 ft
- Type
- Shield volcano
- Earthquakes within 50 km
- 300 past 30 days (USGS)
- Hot spots within 10 km
- 0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
- Nearest city
- Hilo 61 km ENE
Is Mauna Loa erupting right now?
There is no open NASA EONET event for Mauna Loa right now. NOAA NCEI dates its most recent eruption to 1964 or later, and the last eruption in its significant-eruption database was in 1919. Volcano observatories can raise alert levels before an eruption starts, so check the national observatory for the current alert level.
No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).
Earthquakes near Mauna Loa
USGS located 300 earthquakes within 50 km of Mauna Loa in the past 30 days, 63 of them in the last week. The largest was M3.6 on Oct 5, 2026, 35 km ESE of the summit at 28 km depth.
117 of them were shallower than 10 km. Swarms of shallow quakes can mean magma or gas is moving, but most swarms end without an eruption; observatories combine them with ground deformation and gas data.
| Time (UTC) | Magnitude | Distance | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 18:47 UTC | M1.8 | 34 km SSE | 30 km | 1 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 17:44 UTC | M2.1 | 32 km ESE | 28 km | 18 km NE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 10:34 UTC | M2.8 | 2 km E | 35 km | 29 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 06:17 UTC | M2.2 | 35 km SSE | 32 km | 3 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 06:03 UTC | M1.8 | 26 km SE | 47 km | 9 km NNE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 03:01 UTC | M1.9 | 34 km SSE | 28 km | 0 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 02:11 UTC | M2.3 | 35 km SSE | 32 km | 2 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 01:22 UTC | M2.2 | 35 km SSE | 8 km | 6 km WSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 00:12 UTC | M2.0 | 44 km SSE | 39 km | 11 km SSE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 25, 00:05 UTC | M1.9 | 49 km SSE | 36 km | 15 km SSE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 24, 09:33 UTC | M1.9 | 35 km ESE | 0 km | 7 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 24, 05:53 UTC | M2.2 | 14 km E | -1 km | 25 km W of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 24, 03:29 UTC | M1.9 | 27 km SSE | 7 km | 6 km NNW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 24, 03:27 UTC | M1.8 | 28 km SSE | 6 km | 5 km NW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 23:17 UTC | M1.8 | 33 km SSE | 30 km | 1 km WSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 22:37 UTC | M1.8 | 42 km ESE | 2 km | 14 km S of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 21:47 UTC | M1.9 | 35 km SSE | -1 km | 3 km E of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 19:48 UTC | M1.8 | 46 km ESE | 1 km | 13 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 19:46 UTC | M2.1 | 35 km SSE | 27 km | 1 km SSE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 17:50 UTC | M1.1 | 35 km ESE | 30 km | 15 km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 17:44 UTC | M1.6 | 35 km ESE | 31 km | 14 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 17:26 UTC | M2.3 | 40 km SSE | 31 km | 8 km S of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 15:52 UTC | M3.3 | 36 km SSE | 29 km | 3 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 14:49 UTC | M1.8 | 26 km SE | 29 km | 12 km NNE of Pāhala, Hawaii |
| Oct 23, 14:16 UTC | M2.3 | 36 km SSE | 28 km | 4 km SSW of Pāhala, Hawaii |
About Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is a shield volcano in Hawaiian Is, United States, rising to 4,170 m (13,682 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".
Shield volcanoes have broad, gentle slopes built by fluid lava flows; eruptions are usually effusive (lava fountains and flows) rather than explosive.
The nearest large town is Hilo, about 61 km ENE of the summit.
- Hilo (61 km) earthquakes nearby
Flights and volcanic ash
1 major airport is within 400 km; the closest is Daniel K. Inouye (HNL), 317 km away. Volcanic ash melts in jet engines, so an explosive eruption can close airspace and cancel flights even far downwind.
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.
| Airport | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel K. Inouye (HNL) | 317 km | NW |
Other volcanoes in United States
United States has 58 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now, 2 of them with an open NASA activity report today. The closest other one is Kilauea, 34 km away.
Nearby volcanoes
Volcanoes in United States
More
Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.