World’s Largest Volcano Erupts in Hawaii

Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, started erupting late Sunday in the U.S. island state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

The volcano last erupted 38 years ago. But it is not expected to put people in danger.

The volcano rises more than 4,000 meters above sea level. It is on the largest of the five main Hawaiian Islands, also called Hawaii or the "Big Island." About 200,000 people live on the Big Island.

At this point, melted rock, called lava¹, is not expected to come near populated areas, but officials warned people to be ready to evacuate².

The U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, said the path of lava flows can change quickly. Ken³ Hon is the chief scientist at the USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory⁴. He said the eruption⁵ started on Sunday after a number of earthquakes.

Island officials warned people to stay away from the areas where lava is coming out because it can shoot 30 to 60 meters in the air. The gas coming from the eruption is also harmful. At the moment, however, the state said air quality on the island is good.

Hon said the eruption could last one to two weeks if it follows historical patterns.

Bobby Camara lives on the Big Island. He said he has seen the volcano erupt three times.

"I think everybody should be a little bit concerned," he said. "We don't know where the [lava] is going, we don't know how long it's going to last."

Another resident, Gunner Mench, got an alert about the eruption on his phone on Sunday night. He and his wife went outside and could see a red glow over the island.

"Right now, it's just entertainment," he said, but he noted⁶ the concern that the lava could reach areas where people live.

The eruption is a new experience for many people on the island. There are more than twice as many people living there compared to the last time Mauna Loa erupted. State officials are most concerned about an area about 50 kilometers to the south of the volcano where about 5,000 people live.

Hon said the lava could flow toward the city of Hilo, which has about 45,000 people. That could take about a week.

Scientists say they hope the lava flows like it did in 1984, when it moved slowly.

There is some concern about weak areas on the southwestern part of the mountain. If lava escapes from that area, it could threaten places where people live in just hours or days. Hon said the lava has never come up through that area during past eruptions⁷.

He said people living in those areas "do not have to worry about lava flows."

The governor of Hawaii is David Ige. He said there might be some gas, ash and other material in the air due to the eruption. He asked people who have problems breathing to "take precautions."

The Big Island mayor is Mitch Roth. He said the eruption "will be spectacular," but he does not think it will cause problems for people visiting Hawaii.

He said many people come to Hawaii to see volcanoes, but they have to travel a long way to a national park. Now, they can see an eruption much more easily.

"You can just look out your window at night and you'll be able to see Mauna Loa erupting," he said.

Words in This Story

erupt –v. to send out rocks, ash and lava in a sudden explosion

evacuate –v. to move or be moved from a place for reasons of safety

pattern –n. a repeated way in which something happens

glow –n. to shine with a low light or heat

precaution –n. a safety measure taken in the event of an emergency or problem

spectacular–adj. causing wonder

1 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

2 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

3 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

4 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

5 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句