Hualālai last erupted in 1801 and, more recently, had a damaging seismic swarm in 1929 that was probably the result of a superficial magma intrusion. While Kilauea may be Hawaii's most famous volcano, Mauna Loa and Hualalai are also active volcanoes. To be considered active, a volcano will have erupted at least once in the past 10,000 years, and there is still enough seismic activity below the surface to suggest that another eruption may occur in the next 1000 years or less. For additional information on Hualalai Volcano, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (Hualalai) page.
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. Hualalai, Mount Hualalai, Hualalai Mountain or Hualalai Volcano: it's just one name, Hualalai. Lava flows from Hualalai and Kohala volcanoes (along with coral deposits) have buried most of Mahukona volcano. 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.
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. This showed scientists that magma chambers much deeper inside the volcano fueled the most recent Hualalai eruptions than those that had fueled its first eruptions. Due to this and the fact that more than 200 years have passed since its last eruption, Hualalai volcano is considered a potentially dangerous volcano on the island of Hawaii that is delayed for an eruption. Although it receives less attention than Mauna Loa and Kilauea, Hualalai, located in a corner of the Mauna Loa flanks that surrounds Kailua-Kona, remains an active volcano.
There are six volcanoes in the state that are considered active Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai and Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii, Haleakala in Maui and the Loihi Seamount and HVO monitors them all because they have shown signs of activity in the past 10,000 years, Kauahikaua explains. Although 200 years have passed since the last Hualalai eruption, it is almost certain that it will erupt again. Today, seismometers and GPS stations continuously monitor activity at the Hualalai summit, the flanks and on the nearby lower flanks of Mauna Loa, and HVO scientists have conducted a complete GPS study of Hualalai looking for any changes in the volcano's surface every two years since 1971.Hualalai have generally been much less explosive than those of neighboring Kohala and Mauna Kea volcanoes. 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.
