The Eruptions on Mauna Loa and Stromboli
Samantha Gray, Period 5
January 6, 2017
The Eruptions on Mauna Loa and Stromboli
Volcanoes are mountains. Unlike most mountains in the world, they are formed from folding continental plates, uplift and erosion. Volcanoes are created when material from inside the Earth escapes to the surface, this material is known as lava. There are many volcanoes erupting at this very moment, but there are two main volcanoes that are going to be mentioned in the following paragraphs. They are the Mauna Loa and Stromboli volcanoes. These volcanoes have very different structures, eruption dates, magma content and its volcano type. Along with the many differences, there are some similarities between these two volcanoes.
On April 14, 1984, South Kona, Hawaii was in grave fear. At this moment, the Pacific plate was moving over a Hawaiian hot spot creating a shield volcano. A shield volcano is a broad, domed shaped volcano with gently sloping sides; it always has a greater width then height. The volcano was named “Mauna Loa” which means Long Mountain (left picture) because by itself amounts to about 85% of the other entire Hawaiian Islands combined. A shield volcano has a greater width compared to its height. The Mauna Loa had sent lava and ash shooting from its crater into the air, which then caused Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicavolcanoconiosis. This is a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash caused by the eruption of a volcano. Most people who had this ended up getting very sick and a lot did indeed die from it. However, not all-volcanic ash causes Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicavolcanoconiosis but it can cause other types of diseases. For example, Silicosis is a lung disease that is caused by the heavily polluted air after the eruptions. This lung disease burns and scars the inside of the lungs. The ash from the Stromboli volcano (right picture) in Ginosta Italy causes this disease. The word “Stromboli” is Italian for small eruptions, which is what this volcano has quite often. The short eruptions by the Stromboli volcano are caused by the African plate sub-ducting under the Eurasian plate, which then makes it a subduction volcano. A subduction volcano is an act or instant of plates colliding to create a sub ducting earth. It was 1932 when Stromboli erupted in Ginosta this eruption was dangerously active with no warning.[pic 1][pic 2]
A mass explosion of gas bubbles set off the Stromboli. Inside a volcano the gas bubble is formed due to carbon dioxide, water, and sulfur dioxide combining to make the gas bubble blow lava out of the volcano. Gas bubbles often survive the eruption and turn into what geologists call vesicles, which are basalt that has taken form of a bubble and came out of solution as the magma slowly rose to the surface. This eruption was one of the most significant eruptions in history. The Stromboli volcano continues to erupt daily but not as massively as in 1932. The Mauna Loa has always been active as well, for over 700,000 years. The Mauna Loa was composed of almost entirely of thin lava flows in the center vent over time. Lava is mainly made up of crystals, volcanic glass, and gas bubbles. As magma gets closer to the surface and cools, it begins to crystallize minerals like olivine and form bubbles of volcanic gases. When lava erupts it is made up of a mix of crystals, liquid, and bubbles. The liquid then freezes to form volcanic glass. Both the Stromboli and the Mauna Loa were due for another large eruption in 2016, but that has not occurred. Instead, these volcanoes only showed signs of more constant and larger activity, not massive eruptions yet.
Living on an island is the dream for many of us, but with the paradise comes great danger. Islands are full of volcanoes, some more active than others are. For the islands Ginosta and Hawaii, their volcanoes are very active all the time. The people who live around volcanoes are constantly in danger. These volcanoes, the Mauna Loa and Stromboli, are unpredictable to when their next eruption will be. When the Mauna Loa erupted the people of Hawaii were devastated. They lost lots of crops, homes were damaged and livestock was killed; though no lives were lost in this eruption. Along with the damage, the volcanoes activity in earthquakes steadily increased for the following three years. However, the eruption of the Mauna Loa did bring some positive affects to the island. The volcanic ash from the volcano did indeed cause diseases, but on the other hand it helped the vegetation of the island. The ash from the eruption contains minerals that help plants grow. The Mauna Loa is also a good heating source for geothermal power. This power was a source of energy that can be used to heat homes and buildings. The Stromboli also produces geothermal energy, and helps the rich soil be fertilized naturally. The island of Ginosta is not very populated it only contains 400-550 people. This islands environment is constantly hazy and dirty, due to the continuous eruption of Stromboli. The people of this island always live in fear because the volcano is always active. The first major eruption of the Stromboli killed four people and completely destroyed 12 homes. Other smaller damages were reported, but none were too severe. Anyone who lives near or on a volcano faces the consequence of it erupting at any unpredictable moment.