Hawai'i Volcano Blog

Here in Hawai‘i, we can rest assured that should Kīlauea again produce ash clouds of any significance, the Nāʻālehu radar stands guard, 24/7, to assist in rapid response.

The black streak, more prosaically called a water cascade, has reappeared sporadically in the past two years.

The recent first anniversary of the appearance of water at Kīlauea’s summit is a reminder of how much has changed since the end of the 2018 eruption and summit collapse.

On July 25, 2019, ponded water was first observed within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano.

There are approximately 80 seismograph stations on the Island of Hawai‘i, most of which are located near volcanic vents and rift zones.

“Low-frequency earthquakes aren’t unusual at volcanoes, but there’s no other example of this kind of repetition or longevity anywhere in the world. Ultimately, over 1 million earthquakes were found from 1999 to 2018.”

“Signs of the battle between Maui and Kuna are found higher on the Wailuku River.”

Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.

What continues to impress me about this job is how one job can offer so much variety.

Technicians at HVO engineer and maintain the network of stations that monitor the active volcanoes in the state of Hawai‘i.

Tina Neal’s Tenure as Scientist-in-Charge of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory comes to an end this week when she returns to the Alaska Volcano Observatory after fulfilling her five-year commitment to HVO.

Early in April 1952, a series of earthquakes began along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone and beneath the summit.

The main Mauna Iki lava shield was built by the accumulation of numerous pāhoehoe overflows from a small lava pond at the top of the shield.

Volcanists assess Kīlauea’s extreme sulfur dioxide emissions during the 2018 eruption.

Kīlauea has had a long and active history, and each eruption provides us new insights into volcanic processes and hazards.

It takes a village to run a volcano observatory.

This belated Volcano Watch should have been written in January when David and his wife Francine Coloma, who is a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), moved to Hilo.

“Because HVO has over 100 years of volcano monitoring experience, scientists from volcano observatories around the world are eager to visit and learn from HVO and our active volcanoes.”

HVO staff, as well as scientists from other USGS observatories and UH, provide instruction and hands-on training in geophysical, geochemical, and geological methods of monitoring and assessing volcano hazards.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory offers more resources to learn about lava flows.