Guest Post: Remembering When Mauna Loa Last Awoke: Damage Begins, Tempers Flare (Part 2)

This is part 2 of a 3 part retrospective on the 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa by guest blogger, Zahra Hirji. Be sure to check out part one for the first 24 hours and details on the author. -------------------- Guest Post: Remembering When Mauna Loa Last Awoke: Damage Begins, Tempers Flare (Part 2)Lava flows raced down the northeastern mountainside, knocking out the power for two research stations and threatening a prison. As Hilo residents started to panic, Hawaiian authorities knocked heads over how to respond to the unfolding situation. During the eruption’s early days, lava flows were “moving far faster than anyone [could] run,” said then-Mauna Loa geologist Jack Lockwood. Monitoring by air, scientists recorded the lava’s progress by sketching flow outlines on top of topographic maps. These were truly rough approximations, explained Lockwood. Mauna Loa is a shield volcano, meaning it has a gradual slope and little topographic relief. ...