The world’s largest active volcano just started erupting

Somebody call Aladdin ASAP, cuz an ancient giant just woke up from its slumber. Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano, the largest active volcano in the world, has begun erupting for the first time since 1984, per the US Geological Survey.

🤔 So, what happens next?… Nobody really knows; officials said the situation on the ground could change rapidly. But so far, the current eruption is mostly contained within the mountain’s summit – a stark contrast to a 1950 Mauna Loa eruption, when its lava traveled 15 miles to the ocean in under three hours.

And speaking of past eruptions, Hawaii’s largest volcano (and the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak), has now erupted 33 times dating back to 1843. Though before 11:30-ish pm local time on Sunday, it hadn’t done so in almost 40 years, the longest quiet period on record.

🌋 Zoom out: Like TikTok, volcanoes are both terrifying and somehow essential for our planet. More than 80% of the Earth's surface – above and below sea-level – is volcanic in origin. Gaseous emissions from volcanoes also forged our planet's atmosphere.

Nowadays, there are ~500 known active volcanoes in the world, per the US Geological Survey. More than half are part of the “Ring of Fire," a region that encircles the Pacific Ocean.