Hawaii Volcano Blog

It is no secret that the Island of Hawaiʻi is home to fantastic volcanic features, many of which have been created during eruptions of Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai since 1800.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) uses dozens of seismometers to locate individual earthquakes and identify signals that are related to faulting and magma movement within our volcanoes.

The USGS “Did you feel it?” service received over 130 felt reports within the first hour of the earthquake, including one report from Kaua‘i.

One of the most interesting aspects of the current activity in Halemaʻumaʻu is the occasional oozing of lava around the edges of the entire crater while the lava surface is rising.

As these swells rise and fall, they couple with the ocean floor below them creating a constant signal.

How can you prepare for a Mauna Loa eruption? The most important thing you can do is to have a personal response plan — especially if you live in or near the magenta zone.

HVO scientists continue to keep a close eye on Kīlauea and the other volcanoes around the island, always analyzing and interpreting data for any hint of activity that may precede the next eruption, wherever it may be.

Mauna Loa is not currently erupting. But there have been signs of elevated unrest above known background activity since July 2019.

The rise of the lava lake has been interrupted by several plateaus, and even drops, in level over the past few weeks.

The next USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Scientist-in-Charge (SIC) has been named, and it’s a name that Island of Hawai‘i residents may be familiar with—Dr. Ken Hon. Ken will be the 21st Scientist-in-Charge filling a position originally created by Thomas A. Jaggar, who founded HVO in 1912 and directed it until 1940. Ken follows recent […]

Kīlauea’s south flank was the site of five earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in the past year.

Words matter among volcanologists themselves, of course, but they particularly matter in our dealings with the public, when we attempt to both tell what is happening and educate about how volcanoes work.

New eruptions at Kīlauea provide a glimpse into what is happening inside the volcano and its magma reservoirs.

Volcanic gases are an important part of eruptions—they help magma to rise within the earth and erupt, they can tell us how much lava is being erupted, and the volcanic air pollution (vog) they cause can be a hazard.

Lava activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu with lava erupting from vents on the northwest side of the crater.

At approximately 3 a.m. HST on Dec. 26, activity at the west vent increased dramatically as the fountaining at the north vent died out.

The 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit caldera collapse marked the end of the 35-year-long Puʻu ʻŌʻō and 10-year-long summit lava lake eruptions, and the beginning of a new chapter in Kīlauea Volcano activity.

Residents should be aware of Hawaiʻi’s active volcanoes.

The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover camping or backcountry overnight permit fees.

In total, 31 projects are identified, which come with their own action steps and an implementation structure that fosters collaboration.