Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Photo and Video Chronology – Mauna Loa – December 8, 2022

Mauna Loa Eruption Webpage
By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory December 8, 2022

Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone eruption continues. There is a visible gas plume from the erupting fissure fountains and lava flows.

Mauna Loa update: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/volcano-updates

County of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency: https://hawaii-county-civil-defense-agency-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/

Most recent eruption map: https://www.usgs.gov/maps/december-5-2022-mauna-loa-eruption-map

Mauna Loa eruption livestream video: https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live

New webcam of lava flow front: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/m9cam-mauna-loa-fissure-3-eruption-northeast-rift-zone

Color map of lava flow temperature
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A helicopter overflight on December 7, 2022, allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa. This map only shows activity from Fissure 3 on the Northeast Rift Zone, which is feeding a lava flow to the north. A significant breakout has removed lava from the channel about 2.8 mi (4.5 km) behind the tip of the main flow. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A lava boat traverses down the fissure 3 lava channel during the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa on December 7, 2022. Lava boats or lava balls form when portions of the fissure cone or lava channel levees break away and are rafted down the lava stream. As they move along in the channel, additional lava can cool to their surface to form accretionary lava balls. USGS video by M. Patrick. 

Comparison of videos taken on December 7, 2022 (left) and December 8, 2022 (right) showing the change in eruption: 

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
An overflight the morning of December 7, 2022, provided this aerial view of fissure 3 erupting at an elevation of 10,500 feet (meters) above sea level on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. The fissure is feeding a lava channel; near the vent, the lava flow speed has been measured at 32-39 feet per second (10-12 meters per second). USGS video by M. Patrick. 
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa continues with a major change overnight. The fissure 3 (F3) vent continues to erupt but the supply of lava appears to be much reduced this morning. Lava is overtopping channels near the vent with flows extending no farther than 2.5 mi (4 km) from the vent. The channels below this point appear drained of lava and probably no longer feed the main flow front. USGS video by M. Patrick. 
Color photograph of lava channel
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
View of the fissure 3 lava channel looking upslope during a morning overflight of the Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Eruption on December 7, 2022. The eruption vent was emitting a strong plume of volcanic gas, visible in the background of the image. USGS Photo by K. Lynn.
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
The Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa continues with a major change overnight. The fissure 3 (F3) vent continues to erupt but the supply of lava appears to be much reduced this morning. Lava is overtopping channels near the vent with flows extending no farther than 2.5 mi (4 km) from the vent. The channels below this point appear drained of lava and probably no longer feed the main flow front. USGS image by M. Patrick. 
Color photograph of volcanic vent
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A view of fissure 3 erupting on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. USGS image by K. Lynn on December 7, 2022. 
Color photograph of lava channel
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Early morning views of the Mauna Loa Northeast Rift Zone Eruption on December 7, 2022 showed continued lava effusion from fissure 3 into the developed upper channel system. USGS Photo by K. Lynn.

Get Our News

These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site.

Hawaii News

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory News

Mauna Loa News

Natural Hazards News

Volcano Hazards Program News