Volcanic activity formed the Hawaiian Islands.
Mauna Loa is the largest volcano of the five volcanoes forming the island of Hawai'i. Indeed, it is the largest volcano on the Earth, rising from the floor of the Pacific Ocean for a total height of 10.6 miles (17 km), though only the top 2.5 miles (4 km) extend above the ocean surface.
Eruptions
Mauna Loa is still considered active, having last erupted in 1984. Thirty-three eruptions have been recorded since 1843, and evidence suggests the volcano began erupting more than 700,000 years ago.
Size
The immense volcano covers 2,035 square miles (5,271 square kilometers) or a little over the half of the island of Hawai'i. Its immense mass depresses the Pacific Ocean floor at its base 5 miles (8 km).
Elevation
The summit of Mauna Loa is 13,680 feet (4,170 m) above sea level. It is the second highest summit on Hawai'i, only 116 feet (35 m) shorter than Mauna Kea.
Origin
Mauna Loa is a member of a long chain of volcanoes formed by a hot spot, which is an area on a tectonic plate where magma rises to the surface. These volcanoes, most long extinct and submerged beneath the waves, extend 3,700 miles (6,000 km) across the Pacific Ocean toward the Aleutian Trench near Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
Tags: Pacific Ocean, island Hawai, largest volcano
