Hawaii volcano alert level lowered to watch - USGS

FILE PHOTO:The Mauna Loa volcano erupts, as seen from Mauna Kea near Hilo, Hawaii, U.S. December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo

(Reuters) - Lava and volcanic gas emissions at Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, declined on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

As a result, the Observatory downgraded the alert level for the volcano to a watch from the previous level of warning, with lava confined to a small area.