More than two years after road access and electrical power to the Mauna Loa Observatory was cut off by lava flows, NOAA staff continue to make critical measurements of the atmosphere and other environmental variables at the remote site.

In 2023, observatory staff installed solar panels at the site and resumed some measurements, including the independent carbon dioxide monitoring programs run by the Global Monitoring Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as other atmospheric measurements.

Construction of a temporary road to access the observatory site is anticipated to begin in summer 2025.

Media can contact: Theo Stein (303) 819-7409 (theo.stein@noaa.gov)

MLO Activities

Below is a list of hands-on displays and activities that Mauna Loa Observatory has showcased at Earth Day fairs, special events, and at the office in Hilo during school class field trips. Each activity description contains background information about the educational basis of the activity, as well as photographs whenever possible. If you are a teacher or educator and would like to visit the MLO office with a group of students, please see our General Visitors page. Note also that our School Visits page contains special reports of past school visits to MLO. These are excellent resources for teachers that want to see how all the activities below could fit together during a field trip to MLO.

All MLO activities are in a printable Adobe Reader (.pdf) format.