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Lava Flows
Lava is molten rock that frequently flows from an active volcano, although it can also be forcefully ejected in dramatic lava fountains. Volcanoes vary greatly in their overall activity. Some volcanoes, like Mauna Loa in Hawaii or Etna in Italy have been repeatedly active over very long periods, sometimes for hundreds of years. Other volcanoes erupt only rarely. The amount of lava a volcano generates depends on the amount of time you want to consider, that is, whether you consider a single eruption event or the long-term output of a volcano.
Mauna Loa
This volcano on the main island of Hawaii is the largest terrestrial volcano on the planet and is also one of the world's most active volcanoes. It produces dramatic lava flows every few years, with each flow lasting days at a time. In the past 100 years, Mauna Loa has produced an estimated 2.4 billion cubic meters of lava.
Laki Flow
Scientists have calculated that the largest individual lava flow in history was the Laki flow in Iceland, which occurred in 1783. This eruption, along a volcanic fissure, produced lava that covered an area of more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles). The total lava flow was about 12 billion cubic meters. This single event produced more than five times the amount of lava than 100 years of eruptions at Mauna Loa.
Mount Etna
Italy's Mount Etna is one of the world's best known volcanoes. It has erupted at least 190 times in recorded history. One of Etna's largest eruptions occurred in 1852 and lasted nine months. The volcano produced an estimated 57 million cubic meters of lava during this event.
Lava in Gallons
A cubic meter is equal in volume to 264 gallons. Therefore, the 2.4 billion cubic meters of lava produced by Mauna Loa is equal to about 633 billion gallons of lava. Similarly, the 57 million cubic meters from Mount Etna is equivalent to approximately 15 billion gallons, while the Laki flow is approximately 3.2 trillion gallons.