Photos show the world's largest active volcano erupting in Hawaii for the first time in almost 40 years
- Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano, the largest active volcano in the world, erupted on Sunday night.
- Photos from Hawaii show red skies, flowing lava, and smoke as bystanders watch on.
Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted on Sunday night for the first time in 38 years.
The eruption began at around 11:30 p.m. local time, spewing gas and lava, according to the US Geological Survey.
Photos from the scene showed burning lava flows and vivid red skies.
The USGS said in its latest update on Monday afternoon that only one of the three fissures — cracks in the earth where lava flows from — was still active.
It said that lava was still flowing and that more fissures could be created, but that there was no risk to people's property.
Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency and Tourism Authority both said on Monday morning that there was no immediate threat to populated areas, as Insider's Jake Epstein and Paola Rosa-Aquino reported.
The Hawaii Department of Health warned, however, that air quality could be impacted, as the volcano could create volcanic smog, "ash in the air, [with] levels of sulfur dioxide to increase and fluctuate in various areas of the state."
The USGS said that the volcano last erupted in 1984, and that it rises 13,100 ft above sea level.
It also said that it's the largest active volcano on the planet, and among the most active.
