The 2022 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano cut off road access to the Mauna Loa Baseline Observatory. Construction on the temporary Mauna Loa Access road was completed on 26 March, 2026.
At this time, there is no site access for the general public to the Mauna Loa Observatory and NOAA has not yet established a public opening date. GML and scientific partners are working together to bring mission critical scientific projects back online. It is still unclear when utility infrastructure will be replaced and power re-established to the site.
We will provide another update as more information becomes available.
Media contact: Theo Stein at (303) 819-7409 or theo.stein@noaa.gov.
Organization(s):
US Department of Homeland Security (previously US Department of Energy)
What does this program measure?
Hi-volume radionuclides.
How does this program work?
The samples are obtained by high-volume air filtration using micro-carbon filters. Weekly average samples are obtained.
Analysis is done in the DOE NYC laboratories. MLO results are combined with similar samples taken at Point Barrow, Alaska (BRW), American Samoa (SMO), and South Pole Observatory (SPO). Similar filter samples are collected at the other CMDL observatories.
Why is this research important?
Since January 1963, the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) has conducted the Surface Air Sampling Program (SASP) to study the spatial and temporal distribution of specific natural and anthropogenic radionuclides in the surface ambient air.
Are there any trends in the data?
How does this program fit into the big picture?
What is it's role in global climate change?
Comments and References
This project is no longer active.
Lead Investigator(s):
Fabian Raccah
212-620-3793
MLO Contact(s):
Darryl Kuniyuki
808-933-6965 (x236)
Web Site(s)
http://www.eml.doe.gov/
databases/sasp
Date Started
February, 1982
RETIRED
Related Programs
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