What is the largest volcano in the world?

Kyle

Dear Kyle,

Sorry for the delay in answering your question.

The largest volcano in the world, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, just got bigger. The previous volume estimate was 42,500 cubic kilometers. The new estimate is 80,000 cubic kilometers. How can a volcano change size so quickly? It didn't. Peter Lipman of the U.S. Geological Survey used new methods to estimate the volume. He used high resolution bathymetry of the underwater slopes of the volcano, data from seismic profiling and gravity studies, and the subsidence rate of Mauna Loa to better define the shape and density of the buried part of the volcano. The new estimate is 80,000 cubic kilometers.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota

Sources of Information:
Bargar, K.E., and Jackson, E.D., 1974, Calculated volumes of individual shield volcanoes along the Hawaiian-Emperor chain: U.S. Geological Survey Journal of Research, v. 2, p. 545-550.

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