Hawai'i Volcano Blog
Volcano Watch: Tracking Magma Movement Using Olivine Crystal ‘Clocks’
Lavas and their minerals erupted from Hawaiian volcanoes provide clues to the history of the magmas that are eventually erupted.
Volcano Watch: Alaska Volcano Elusive in Signs of Unrest
Pavlof Volcano, Alaska’s stratovolcano, located within the Aleutian volcanic arc, has remained elusive in yielding clues to impending eruption.
Volcano Watch: How High is That Lava Fountain?
The onset of an eruption is frequently the most dynamic and vigorous period, requiring a quick evaluation of potential hazards.
VOLCANO WATCH: The Canary Islands ‘Mega-Tsunami’ Hypothesis And Why it Doesn’t Carry Water
The recent eruption on La Palma, in the Canary Islands, has stimulated speculation that the volcano might collapse, creating a tsunami that would devastate the east coast of North and South America. But is such a scenario possible or likely?
Volcano Watch: Large Earthquake reminds us to ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On’
The large earthquake, caused by bending of the oceanic plate, serves as a stark reminder that the State of Hawaiʻi is no stranger to potentially damaging earthquakes.
What’s That Rising From the Lava Lake?
Recent activity at Kīlauea has USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists reflecting on prior observations and how they compare to recent activity.
Eruption Update: Kīlauea Calming Down
HVO scales back warning levels at eruption site due to new data Monday.
Observations and Impacts of the 2017–18 Ambae, Vanuatu Eruption
The island of Ambae, in Vanuatu, is a large basaltic shield volcano that lies along the subduction zone between Fiji and Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific.
Volcano Watch: How Does HVO Determine Regions Most Threatened by Lava Flows?
Most residents of the Island of Hawaiʻi live on one of four potentially active volcanoes and probably have wondered about the threat of lava flows at one time or another.
Volcano Watch: Mapping Kīlauea’s Gas Emissions
Over the summer of 2021, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists conducted a detailed gas survey of the caldera floor and rim in order to understand the distribution of current emissions.
Eruption? Intrusion? What’s the difference?
HVO explains the difference between an intrusion and eruption following a flurry of activity south of the Kīlauea caldera a week ago.
Volcano Watch: New Kīlauea Summit Intrusion Draws Comparison to Past Activity
Late Monday afternoon, earthquake activity picked up at Kīlauea’s summit.
Kīlauea Update: Earthquake Swarm has Waned
The earthquake swarm that began beneath the south part of Kīlauea caldera, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has waned.
Volcano Watch: ‘Ailā‘au—the Largest Subaerial Kīlauea Lava Flow
Kīlauea volcano alternates between periods dominated by lava flows, such as the one we are currently in, and periods of explosive activity.
Volcano Watch: 1790 Was a Bad Year at Kīlauea
More people were probably killed by the 1790 eruption of Kīlauea than by any other eruption in what is now the United States.
Spaceborne Sentinel Keeps Watch Over Hawaiian Volcanoes
Many imaging satellites are polar orbiting, staying closer to Earth’s surface in a low orbit.
VOLCANO WATCH, Under the Radar: Using Weather Stations to Study Kīlauea’s Plume
The water lake in Halema‘uma‘u was 164 feet deep and growing when Kīlauea summit erupted on Dec. 20.
Volcano Watch: Hawaiian Volcanoes are Heavy
As Hawaiian volcanoes erupt and grow, they add more and more weight to the Earth’s surface.
Remembering Mauna Loa’s Eruption in July 1975
Mauna Loa erupted 46 years ago this week, on July 5–6, 1975, in a 20-hour event.
