Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano, located on the Big Island, has begun to erupt for the first time since 1984. Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano and one of five five volcanos that make up the Big Island. Lava is threatening to reach neighborhoods as it flows downhill but so far no evacuation orders have been issued and no homes have been effected. But state health officials are urging people to cut back on outdoor exercise due to toxic smog caused by the spewing of sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases.
According to the AP these are the hazards posed by Mauna Loa’s eruption:
-Lava: Molten rock could cover houses, farms or neighborhoods, depending on where it flows. But lava from the northeast rift zone will likely take at least a week to reach populated areas, allowing people time to evacuate if needed.
-Volcanic gas: Mauna Loa is releasing volcanic gases, mostly sulfur dioxide. The gases are present in their highest concentrations in the immediate area around the summit crater or vents. But they also combine with other particles to form vog, which can spread across the Big Island and even waft over to the state’s other islands.
The Big Island is mostly rural and hosts cattle ranches and coffee farms but it is also home to a few small cities, including the county seat of Hilo, which has a population of 45,000.
The eruption began Sunday night at its summit after a series of large earthquakes. It then spread to vents that formed in a rift zone where the mountain is splitting apart and it’s easier for magma to emerge.
Read more here.
I’m not an English major but, the first paragraph of this AP article has at least two grammatical errors. Is anyone doing any spell checking on these articles? I see all kinds of errors on the internet. However, I don’t expect to see them in an AP or UPI article. How can we expect anyone to learn proper English if even the newspapers and blogs from a major news wire service are so horribly written?
Norman –
It’s worse than bad English. Mauna Loa is the tallest volcano – IF you count the height above the bottom of the ocean. The largest volcano is certainly Yellowstone, with a caldera (cone) opening some 45 by 55 miles in extent.
The ‘Proper English ‘? I too comprehend your meaning but the language is a bastard of many roots. Not to long back editors reviewed and and made corrections prior to publication. Spell Check has now influenced the written publictions. You were likely educated as a “Sight Reader” as opposed to Phonetic.
Then there is the subject of Idioms. Today Scotus received oral arguments on the meaning of the word ‘shall’ specifically as a legal term. At issue was does the word shall mean shall. I await the decision with interest as the word is is fundamental in the context of the Second Amendment of the Constituion.
Maybe Our Lord, GOD and Savior are finally tired of all the bullshit?