Behold the Awesome Power of Nature as Mauna Loa Erupts in Spectacular Fashion

Marco Garcia. Shutterstock Images.

Mauna Loa. 

The term means different things in different cultures. To most of us, it invokes the canned macadamia nuts that are found in 90% of our gift baskets. The ones Higgins from Magnum, PI used to be the spokesman for. 

To a certain generation, it's the sunken ship that Spongebob and Patrick find and use as a secret hideout, until Mr. Krabs finds out and thinks it's full of treasure and when it's not:

… he turns into a pirate ship carnival ride that almost kills everyone in Bikini Bottom and he ends up going to jail.

But to the people of Hawaii, it means "Long Mountain." It's one of the five major volcanoes that formed the Big Island. And for the first time in 38 years, it is erupting again. And the images of the destructive power of nature should humble all puny humans who observe them. Be they from a safe distance:

Or close to the hell mouth:

Or even from space:

Gaze in wide wonder at Gaia Mother Earth in all her terrible glory. As capable of producing wondrous beauty as she is devastating displays of her destructive might. From vistas straight out of Tolkien, to emitting gas from a hole in the ground like a stoned frat boy lighting his farts with a Zippo.

Nothing mankind has produced, from our most powerful rocket engines to our most horrifying weapons can compete against the might of the Earth itself. And seeing these images is a reminder that this fragile blue marble we're spinning through the cosmos on was born from unimaginable violence, and is capable of it yet again. And how our hot, molten, hellish origin story gave birth to all that we hold dear. That the brimstone that burned in those ancient fires formed land masses, fertile soil, simple organisms, plants, animals, humans, and eventually, Gal Gadot.

The good news is that the residents of the Big Island appear to be in no danger. In fact, they are fully prepared for such an event, despite the almost four decades since they'd had to deal with one:

Hopefully that will continue. And those fortunate enough to live there can witness first hand the very forces that created their home island. For the rest of us, these images will be more than enough. Stay safe. Mahalo.