Why did Mauna Loa erupt so much?

In 1868, and an eruption from Mauna Loa caused the largest earthquake in Hawaii, registering as a magnitude 8 by modern methods. The lava flow of 1855-1856 is said to be one of the greatest flows ever seen by modern observers. read more

One of the most common hazards that volcanoes in Hawaii like Mauna Loa can cause is inundation by lava. The lava flows are usually slow moving and do not usually exceed a walking pace but that is not necessarily the case. In 1950 the volcano erupted as much lava as Kilauea produces currently every three years. read more

Mauna Loa's July 1975 eruption was forewarned by more than a year of seismic unrest, with the HVO issuing warnings to the general public from late 1974; the 1984 eruption was similarly preceded by as much as three years of unusually high seismic activity, with volcanologists predicting an eruption within two years in 1983. read more