This aerial view of the summit of Mauna Loa from the NW shows the elongated, 2.4 x 4.8 km Mokuaweoweo caldera. The walls of the flat-bottomed caldera are 80-180 m high. Black lava flows visible on the flanks of the caldera were truncated when the caldera collapsed. Virtually the entire caldera floor in this April 1984 view is covered with light-colored lava flows produced during the first day of an eruption in March and April of that year. The cinder cone on the south (right) side of the caldera floor was formed during the 1940 eruption.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1984.

Copyrighted image used with permission. All Rights Reserved. Contact photographer for any usage requests.

Mauna Loa