#Volcano Watch

Often, the earliest signs of volcanic unrest, before lava is seen, are provided by earthquake activity occurring deeper within the Earth than where other volcano monitoring capabilities can reach. 

Mauna Loa and Kīlauea are still active and will erupt again, so volcano awareness should not be put on the backburner.

The first few hours of Mauna Loa’s eruption were dynamic, and volcanologists intently watched monitoring data to track changing conditions and understand how the eruption was developing.

HVO staff and County of Hawai‘i officials closely monitored the eruption overnight, tracking activity for any migration.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory sets the two designations for volcanoes in Hawaii and American Samoa.

More than 8,000 photographs taken before, during and after the eruption, along with satellite imagery, make up the largest available dataset of lava flow impacts in the world.

Ta‘ū volcano in American Samoa experienced volcanic unrest in the form of an earthquake swarm that was felt throughout the Manuʻa Islands (Ofu-Olosega and Ta‘ū Islands) from late July through early September 2022.

After damaging earthquakes, response and recovery take place under the threat of aftershocks.

During the late fall and winter of 2021–2022, the eruption would episodically pause for periods lasting from hours to days.

Feeling occasional earthquakes is part of the experience of living in Hawai‘i, especially on the Island of Hawai‘i.

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

The last eruption of Mauna Loa occurred in 1984 and began in a style typical of the volcano.

Crater filling at Kīlauea is sometimes like pouring liquid into a mug, but more often it is like injecting haupia crème into a crispy malasada.

Although there is a great deal we do not know about what a volcano is about to do, we can make some short-term forecasts based on what is currently happening.

Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) and collaborators from the University of South Florida had the unique opportunity to get a peek at the layers inside Ahuʻailāʻau

Footage of Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall eruption on Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021 showed glowing lava flows and bubbling cones that were evocative of Hawaiian eruptions.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s geodetic network is actively being upgraded to help scientists monitor and respond to volcanic activity.

Earthquakes have been felt since late July in the Manuʻa Islands of American Samoa in the South Pacific. These earthquakes are likely associated with magmatic activity beneath the islands. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is working closely with federal partners, American Samoan officials, and local residents to better understand the source and potential hazard implications of these ongoing earthquakes.

Covering over half of the Island of Hawai‘i, Mauna Loa is sometimes referred to as a “sleeping giant” because it hasn’t erupted in 38 years after erupting nearly every seven years in the early 20th century. However, Mauna Loa occasionally stirs in its slumber and reminds us that it will someday awake and erupt again. 

The ongoing eruption at the summit of Kīlauea hasn’t made the news recently, but that doesn’t mean the recent eruptive activity hasn’t been noteworthy.