#Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Living in such a dynamic place as Hawaiʻi Island, it’s important to try to be aware and prepared for natural events that affect us; nature will continue to reshape the land in Hawaiʻi, and the recent Episode 43 lava fountaining fallout and kona low are recent reminders about how impactful such natural events can be.

As future eruptive episodes approach, monitor the weather forecast and follow guidance from Hawai‘i County Civil Defense so you can prepare for these events if you live in an area that could experience tephra fallout.

Volcanic material as large as 6 inches was reported at Volcano Golf Course on Tuesday (March 10), with the village experiencing significant fallout; falling tephra caused closures of a portion of Highway 11, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, swimming pools and at least one school, emergency shelter opening and new summit webcam getting ‘clobbered.’

All eruptive activity was confined to Halemaʻumaʻu within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will provide additional details about Episode 43 in its next official report.

Overnight guests of Kīlauea Military Camp and Volcano House with reservations and identification will be allowed to enter the park, but must shelter in place.

Management of the park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources and maintain backcountry facilities.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island will issue its first Volcano Observatory Notice to Aviation in the new format when the next Kīlauea fountaining episode begins — and the aviation community will get that information more quickly and effectively than ever before.

Mauna Loa’s Volcano Alert Level is at Normal and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory expects to see changes such as increased seismicity or gas emissions before any future eruption; keeping a close eye on the volcanoes even during quiet times can teach important lessons that will inform our interpretations and decisions as conditions change.

Visual observations have been a backbone of volcano research more than 2,000 years and remain fundamental to understanding how volcanoes work; advancements in technology even allow eruptions to be viewed from anywhere around the world.

An estimated 15 million cubic yards of lava erupted and covered about 50% of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use tiny features within crystals in erupted lava to answer big questions about the underlying plumbing system at Kīlauea.

Like the “Did You Feel It?” earthquake reporting tool helps make maps of areas affected by shaking, the new tool helps scientists map areas affected by tephra fallout; observations will be used to assess the character and size of the eruption plumes from Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island, along with the dispersal pattern of tephra fall.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website is currently offline due to a widespread issue affecting USGS public websites.

Strong updrafts coupled with light winds blowing to the east and north sent lava fragments — called tephra — from those molten rock geysers over much of Puna, into Hilo and falling along the eastern edge of Kaʻū; learn more now!

More than 320 “Felt Reports” were made within the first 45 minutes after the temblor, with it being felt widely around the Big Island; aftershocks are possible within the coming days to weeks.

Episode 41 erupted Saturday morning and lasted more than 8 hours before abruptly ending just before 7:30 p.m.

Since the ongoing eruption began a year ago, the Kīlauea summit region has been remarkably quiet from an earthquake standpoint, but that is changing.

The fair on Jan. 24 is in partnership with the Ocean View Resilience Hub and the Hawaiian Volcanoes Education and Resilience Institute.

Ongoing swarms of earthquakes and persistent volcanic tremors indicate active magmatic movement, fueling anticipation about Kīlauea’s next eruption.

After nearly 10 hours, Episode 40 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption comes to a sudden end.