NOAA Satellites See Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Volcano Eruption
On Nov. 28, 2022, the world’s largest active volcano began erupting for the first time since 1984. Mauna Loa, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, began spewing ash and debris from its summit around 11:30 p.m. local time after a series of earthquakes. Lava was ejected to heights of up to 148 feet on Nov. 29. NOAA satellites monitored the ongoing eruption, lava flow, ash plume, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. GOES-17 (GOES West) provided one-minute imagery to help NOAA’sNational Weather Service Pacific Region monitor the evolution of the eruption and volcanic plumes in real-time. GOES-18, still undergoing post-launch testing, began collecting 30-second imagery of the eruption on Nov. 30. This rapid-update imagery allowed forecasters to observe the hottest areas of the lava field as well as the constant emission of ash and vapor.
On Nov. 28, 2022, the world’s largest active volcano began erupting for the first time since 1984. Mauna Loa, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, began spewing ash and debris from its summit around 11:30 p.m. local time after a series of earthquakes. Lava was ejected to heights of up to 148 feet on Nov. 29. NOAA satellites monitored the ongoing eruption, lava flow, ash plume, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. GOES-17 (GOES West) provided one-minute imagery to help NOAA’sNational Weather Service Pacific Region monitor the evolution of the eruption and volcanic plumes in real-time. GOES-18, still undergoing post-launch testing, began collecting 30-second imagery of the eruption on Nov. 30. This rapid-update imagery allowed forecasters to observe the hottest areas of the lava field as well as the constant emission of ash and vapor.