Hawai'i Volcano Blog

The Feb. 3 installment of “Volcano Watch” introduced some of the data streams that are used to monitor eruption pauses and renewals at Kīlauea’s summit, including ground tilt from borehole tiltmeters. Tilt data also provided valuable insight into the behavior of the lava lake that occupied Halemaʻumaʻu crater from 2008–2018, before the series of collapses in 2018 changed Kīlauea’s summit topography.

The original purpose of geologic mapping in Hawaiʻi was to understand the distribution of groundwater and soils to support agriculture. But as geologic maps have been developed over time, they’ve provided basic information on how the Hawaiian Islands evolved, the workings of individual volcanoes and the relative degree of long-term hazards posed.

Kīlauea’s summit glow comes and goes frequently these days. This is due to a pattern of pauses in lava lake activity within Halema‘uma‘u crater over the last two and a half months.

The new name was unanimously adopted in July 2021 by the Hawaiʻi Board on Geographic Names.

Mauna Loa is known for its effusive eruptions that produce spectacular lava flows. However, some of the volcanic products found on Mauna Loa are pyroclastic or explosive in character.

Vog, the hazy mixture of sulfur dioxide gas and aerosols, which can affect broad areas downwind of volcanic eruptions, moved back into the air — and lungs — of the Big Island for several days the first week of the new year and early last week.

Known to many as “Pele’s Grandson,” Alexander (“Alex” or “Alec”) Lancaster guided both tourists and scientists to Hawai‘i’s volcanoes for over forty years, from 1885 to 1928.

January was established as the Island of Hawai‘i’s annual Volcano Awareness Month in 2010 as part of an effort to increase understanding of Hawaiian volcanoes among residents and visitors.

While gases in the air and dissolved volatiles in molten magma (preserved as glass and glass inclusions in minerals) may not seem like they’d be measured the same way, we can use the same principles and techniques to measure both and help us understand eruptive activity.

Communities on the Island of Hawai‘i continue to recover from Kīlauea’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse as does the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The electronics workshop at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) buzzes with creative activity. It’s like Santa Claus’ workshop—for volcano science.

Scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) largely rely on aerial data collection for making maps of ongoing eruptions at Kīlauea.

Halemaʻumaʻu crater has undergone repeated changes during the past two centuries. 

David Clague, former HVO Scientist-In-Charge, initiated this series of weekly articles in late-1991.

Lavas and their minerals erupted from Hawaiian volcanoes provide clues to the history of the magmas that are eventually erupted.

Pavlof Volcano, Alaska’s stratovolcano, located within the Aleutian volcanic arc, has remained elusive in yielding clues to impending eruption.

The onset of an eruption is frequently the most dynamic and vigorous period, requiring a quick evaluation of potential hazards.

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?

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.

Recent activity at Kīlauea has USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists reflecting on prior observations and how they compare to recent activity.