Hawai'i Volcano Blog

Emotions ran high Saturday afternoon in Ocean View as residents living in the community on Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone got an update on the sleeping giant’s status and had a chance to speak with and ask questions.

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.

Two recent magnitude-4-plus earthquakes and a spike last month in seismic activity at a underwater seamount have not affected volcanic activity on the Big Island, according to a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist.

While our attention is generally drawn to the Island of Hawai‘i’s most active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, it is also important to keep watch on the Island of Hawai‘i’s third-most active volcano, Hualālai, which underlies the most populated areas of Kailua-Kona and the central Kona coast.

The public will have another chance to learn more about the environmental assessment for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park 2018 Disaster Recovery Project and provide input during an online meeting Wednesday, July 27.

The volcanic seamount south of the Big Island formerly known as Lōʻihi is experiencing increased seismic activity.

What makes a volcano a volcano? This was the topic of a “Volcano Watch” article about 20 years ago. Recent questions from visitors suggest this remains a topic of great interest and deserves revisiting.

The volcanic gas plume at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is often the most visible indication of the ongoing eruptive activity during the daylight hours.

Cities on Volcanoes meetings are sponsored by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior, a society of scientists from around the world that specialize in volcanology and related disciplines.