MAUNA LOA VOLCANO
Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on Earth. This massive shield volcano is at the Hawaii
Hotspot, along with its better-known neighbor, Kilauea Volcano. Mauna Loa
is not currently erupting, but did have eruptions in 1859, 1881, the 1940s,
1975, and 1984. Shown below is a sample from one of Mauna Loa's 1949 lava
flows.
Scoriaceous
basalt (8.0 cm across) from a 1949 lava flow eruption of
Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii Hotspot, central Pacific Ocean.