What type of lava is produced by Mauna Loa?

Mauna Loa, or "Long Mountain" in Hawaiian, is located on the island of Hawaii. It is pictured above rising 13,680 ft. (4,170 m) above sea level (this photo was taken from over Loihi seamount, some 30 km or so to the south). Since 1832, Mauna Loa has erupted 39 times; its last eruption was in 1984. read more

Mauna Loa is a typical shield volcano located in the Hawaii island chain. Like other shield volcanoes, it has gently sloping sides due to the runny lava it produces. Mauna Loa's basalt lava may be thin, but the enormous flows over thousands of years have built up the volcano into the largest volcano on Earth. read more

The mafic lava produced by Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Mauna Kea, Haleakala, and so forth, all came from the same source: the Hawaiian hotspot. On cooling, it forms basalt, the iron black rock from the hardened lava. read more

Mauna Loa is a "shield volcano", which means it is a gently sloping mountain produced from a large number of generally very fluid lava flows. The volcano has been erupting for at least 100,000 years (possibly more) from a primary volcanic center that is presently manifested by Moku'aweoweo crater at the mountain's summit. read more