World’s biggest volcano erupts
HAWAII’S Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, has started to erupt, prompting volcanic ash and debris to fall nearby.
The eruption began late on Sunday night in the summit caldera of the volcano on the Big Island, the US Geological Survey said.
Early on Monday, it said lava flows were contained within the summit area and were not threatening nearby communities.
Officials at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said: “Lava flows in the summit region are visible from Kona. There is no indication of any migration of the eruption into a rift zone.”
A rift zone is where the mountain is splitting apart, with the rock cracked and relatively weak, making it is easier for magma to emerge.