News Release U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Contact: Janet Babb USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory P. O. Box 51 Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 Tel: (808) 967-8844 Email: jbabb@xxxxxxxx Silver Anniversary of 1984 Mauna Loa Eruption The 25th anniversary of Mauna Loa's last eruption was Wednesday, March 25. A look at the volcano's eruption frequency over the past 3,000 years shows that it has erupted, on average, once every 6 years. Given its history, is Mauna Loa due to erupt again? This question, and more, will be answered during programs held in three Hawai`i Island communities. Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) and UH-Hilo Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes will be on hand to talk story about the eruptive history and current status of Mauna Loa. Hawai`i County Civil Defense officials and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park rangers will also be available to answer questions on public safety and mitigation plans for the next eruption of the volcano. Two programs are set for this Saturday, March 28. The first is at UH-Hilo from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in UCB100/127. The next is in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates at St. Jude Episcopal Church from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, April 4, the program will be repeated in Kealakekua in the Konawaena Elementary School cafeteria from 10:00 a.m. to noon. These community programs will be informal. Each one begins with a brief introductory presentation, but people can come and go anytime during the two-hour period to talk story and view informative poster displays on Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth. "Mauna Loa will erupt again, and there's a good chance that it will be during your lifetime," says Frank Trusdell, an HVO geologist who has studied the volcano for nearly two decades. His concerns are that new residents may not be aware that Mauna Loa is an active volcano, and long-time residents may have forgotten the full potential of hazards posed by the volcano. Trusdell encourages everyone to attend one of the community programs. "Come talk story with us. There's no better time than now to educate yourself about the massive volcano in your backyard," he added. For more information about Mauna Loa and the upcoming community programs, go to the HVO Web site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov. Photo and caption: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maunaloa/history/4305078_caption.html USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit http://www.usgs.gov. Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list (http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/list_server.asp) or RSS (http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/default.asp) feed. The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to: describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. ***USGS*** This press release and in-depth information about USGS programs may be found on the USGS home page: www.usgs.gov. To receive the latest USGS news releases automatically by email, send a request to listproc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Specify the listserver(s) of interest from the following names: water-pr: geologic-hazards-pr; biological-pr; geologic-pr; mapping-pr; joe smith. ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
