HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. scientists said Tuesday that two active volcanoes in Hawaii — one where lava destroyed hundreds of homes in 2018 and another where lava recently stalled before reaching a crucial highway in the Big Island – they stopped erupting.
“Kilauea is no longer erupting,” the US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory said in a statement Tuesday, followed by a separate one that said, “Mauna Loa is no longer erupting.”
Warning levels for both volcanoes have been downgraded from warning to warning.
Mauna Loa, the world’s largest volcano, began spewing molten rock on Nov. 27 after lying dormant for 38 years, drawing onlookers to enjoy the fiery spectacle and causing the first jitters among passersby through destructive eruptions.
It was Mauna Loa’s longest period of rest, said Ken Hon, the observatory’s chief scientist.
Lava watchers in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park enjoyed the rare added wonder of being able to watch Mauna Loa’s smaller neighbor Kilauea erupt at the same time.
Kilauea has been erupting since September 2021. A Kilauea eruption in 2018 destroyed over 700 homes.
Mauna Loa’s lava posed no threat to any community, but it was located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from a major highway connecting the east and west sides of the island.
Hon called the two-week spectacle, which is a typical period of time for Mauna Loa, “my favorite eruption.”
“It was a beautiful eruption and a lot of people were able to see it and it didn’t destroy any major infrastructure and more importantly it didn’t affect anyone’s lives,” he said during a conference call on Tuesday.
Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno said a one-way street that was opening to handle traffic from the crowds of people watching the lava will close Thursday.
Magno and other county officials had warned that the slow-moving lava could force the closure of Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. This has prompted motorists to prepare for disruption with a closure that could add hours to travel times on alternative coastal routes.
“Whatever it is — luck, chance — this is probably the best situation we could ask for on Mauna Loa,” Magno said.
For Native Hawaiians, volcanic eruptions have deep cultural and spiritual significance. During the Mauna Loa eruption, many Hawaiians took part in cultural traditions such as singing, chanting and dancing to honor Pele, the deity of volcanoes and fire, and leaving offerings known as “hookupu”.
Lava flow from a fissure on Mauna Loa stopped Saturday, the monitor said, and volcanic tremors and earthquakes associated with the eruption “have greatly diminished.”
“Glow spots may remain near vents, along channels, and at the flow front for days or weeks as lava flows cool,” the observatory’s summary of activity states. “However, eruptive activity is not expected to return based on past eruptive behavior.”
The lava supply to Kilauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake stopped Friday, the observatory said. “There is the potential for this eruption to resume or for a new eruption to begin at or near Kilauea’s summit.”
The observatory will continue to monitor the volcanoes for signs of renewed activity.
Despite definitive statements, Hon said there is usually a three-month “cooling off” period before scientists consider the eruption over.
But there has been no history of a Mauna Loa rift eruption stopping and restarting, he said: “So we’re pretty confident that this eruption has stopped and probably ended.”
It was not clear what the connection might be with volcanoes stopping their eruptions at the same time. Both volcanoes can be viewed simultaneously from different points in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near Kilauea Caldera.
“So Kilauea may have already subsided and the eruption of Mauna Loa may have caused enough physical changes to stop it, or it may have stopped on its own,” said the Hon. “So we don’t have a very good answer for that right now.”
Scientists will analyze the data to study the relationship between the two volcanoes, he said.
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