What Makes Hawaii’s Erupting Volcanoes Special

After almost 40 years, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano erupted just after Thanksgiving. This event marks one of several ongoing eruptions, alongside Hawaii’s Kilauea and Indonesia’s Mount Semeru. Standing as the largest active volcano, Mauna Loa covers over half the size of Hawaii’s big island.

Volcanologist Alison Graettinger discusses with Scientist in Residence Regina G. Barber what sets Mauna Loa’s eruption apart from Indonesia’s and others in the Pacific. The conversation also uncovers insights about planet Earth.

The U.S. Geological Survey has a live video feed of the eruption, providing real-time observations.

This episode’s content was meticulously edited and fact-checked by Gisele Grayson. Rebecca Ramirez handled the production, while Josh Newell managed the audio engineering.