Satellites are now keeping a close eye on the world's largest volcano after its first eruption in decades.

On Sunday, November 27, Hawaii's Mauna Loa started erupting for the first time since 1984. According to a statement from the United States Geological Survey  (USGS), the lava from Mauna Loa has so far been kept controlled and isn't endangering any properties.  

Space.com reports that numerous satellites are gathering crucial information and taking breathtaking pictures of the raging volcano. 

(Photo : Maxar)
Nighttime satellite photos of Hawaii's Big Island's Mauna Loa Volcano taken by Maxar on November 28 at 10:39 PM HST show the recent eruption and extensive lava flows that are flowing down the Northeast Rift Zone.

Glowing Lava in the Dark

A nocturnal photo of the volcano's caldera, which is already filled with lava, was taken on Monday by Maxar satellites, which also captured complicated flows of molten rock shining brightly to the northeast of the peak.

A third image blends the nighttime lava view on top of the image from before the eruption started. Maxar also released a striking daytime shot of Mauna Loa from July that shows the summit and ancient lava flows. 

(Photo : Maxar)
Nighttime satellite photos of Hawaii's Big Island's Mauna Loa Volcano taken by Maxar on November 28 at 10:39 PM HST show the recent eruption and extensive lava flows that are flowing down the Northeast Rift Zone.

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ESA's View

Additionally, government satellites are monitoring the eruption. An image composite taken on Monday by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite was made public by the European Space Agency (ESA). The eruption features billowing clouds of gas, and infrared data shows how hot the streaming lava is. 

A view of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere as captured on Monday by the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) sensor on ESA's Sentinel-5P satellite was also made available by NASA. One of the chemicals being emitted by the eruption is sulfur dioxide. 

In the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa, lava has erupted from several cracks, some of which are producing 160-foot-high fountains of lava (50 meters). 

Since the volcano has a comparable rift zone to the southwest, USGS officials anticipate that the eruption will stay inside the Northeast Rift Zone. 

(Photo : ESA)
After being inactive for nearly 40 years, the Mauna Loa volcano erupted this week. This is a composite image from the European Space Agency (ESA).

"There is no active lava within Moku'āweoweo caldera, and there is no lava erupting from the Southwest Rift Zone. We do not expect any eruptive activity outside the Northeast Rift Zone. No property is at risk currently," USGS officials said in a statement.

"There is a visible gas plume from the erupting fissure fountains and lava flows, with the plume primarily being blown to the North. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates of approximately 250,000 tonnes per day (t/d) were measured on November 28, 2022." 

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