Mauna Loa, which means "Long Mountain" in Hawaiian, is one of the five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, which is part of the larger chain of islands that together form the state of Hawaii.
Although not the tallest mountain on Earth, Mauna Loa is a giant at 13,448 feet above sea level. However, when the true height is measured from the bottom of the ocean, that number becomes 56,000 feet, which is even taller than Mt. Everest. Nearby Mauna Kea is the only mountain that is taller, by about 350 feet.
With a mass of 9,700 cubic miles, Mauna Loa is enormous. The volcano is 60 miles long and 30 miles wide, making up about half of the Big Island and 85 percent of all the other Hawaiian Islands put together.
Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano in the world and has been erupting for at least 100,000 years. It is a shield volcano which means its eruptions are slower, quieter and more gradual than the explosive eruption of a volcano like Mt. St. Helens. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984 but is predicted to erupt again.
