Hualālai is the third youngest volcano and the third most historically active volcano on the island of Hawaii.
For residents of the Kona area, keep in mind that Hualalai hasn't erupted since 1801; Mauna Loa is considered active but hasn't erupted since 1984. Alkaline eruptions in Hualalai have generally been much less explosive than those at neighboring Kohala and Mauna Kea volcanoes. Although 200 years have passed since the last Hualalai eruption, it is almost certain that it will erupt again. Hualalai, Mount Hualalai, Hualalai Mountain or Hualalai Volcano: it's just one name, Hualalai. No magma-related seismicity or soil deformation has been detected recently in Hualalai, making it difficult to say if and when the next eruption could occur.
During this period, no microearthquake swarms or harmonic tremors (both indicative of magma migration) have been recorded, although Hualalai experiences several magnitude 4 earthquakes each year. However, in 1929 an intense earthquake swarm hit Hualalai for a period of one month, which has been interpreted as due to an intrusion of magma near the surface, without a superficial eruption. Lava flows represent by far the greatest danger in a possible future Hualalai eruption, because although explosive pyroclastic eruptions have occurred during the Holocene epoch (the last 10,000 years), they are relatively rare and cover only limited parts of the volcano. Hualalai volcano last erupted between 1800-1801, when it produced lava flows from 5 fissure vents that reached the sea and buried Hawaiian villages.
