Volcano Science Center
Find U.S. Volcano
The Volcano Science Center is the primary center serving the mission of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program — to enhance public safety and minimize social and economic disruption from volcanic unrest and eruption. The center is home to the five US volcano observatories with offices in Anchorage, Alaska; Menlo Park and Mountain View, California; Vancouver, Washington; and Hilo, Hawaii.
News
Volcano Watch — Remembering the 1926 Mauna Loa eruption a century later
Volcano Watch — Remembering the 1926 Mauna Loa eruption a century later
Young mountains, old rocks: A geological overview of the Teton range
Young mountains, old rocks: A geological overview of the Teton range
Volcano Watch — “Stick Season” in Hawaii? What Happened to the Leaves around Kīlauea Summit?
Volcano Watch — “Stick Season” in Hawaii? What Happened to the Leaves around Kīlauea Summit?
Publications
High-resolution magnetic survey using an unoccupied aerial vehicle to constrain buried lava flow geometry, volume, and eruptive history of Little Cones, Crater Flat, Nevada High-resolution magnetic survey using an unoccupied aerial vehicle to constrain buried lava flow geometry, volume, and eruptive history of Little Cones, Crater Flat, Nevada
Magnetic surveys are an important tool used to augment geologic mapping in distributed volcanic fields. Using magnetic anomalies, it is possible to model the geometry of shallowly buried volcanic features, such as conduits, sills, and lava flows. This subsurface mapping is important for understanding eruption dynamics and emplacement of lava flows, and it sometimes reveals buried...
Water volumes, heat flow, and solute discharge from Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, Yellowstone National Park, USA Water volumes, heat flow, and solute discharge from Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, Yellowstone National Park, USA
The iconic Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, USA, has attracted a significant amount of research because of the relative regularity and impressive size of its eruptions. Numerous studies have included observations, measurements, and analyses that informed models of geyser eruptions. However, fundamental quantities, including the associated mass and heat discharged, remain...
Cenozoic distributed volcanism of the Arabia Plate—A review Cenozoic distributed volcanism of the Arabia Plate—A review
Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Arabia Plate cover about 140,000 square kilometers across a distance of about 3,000 kilometers from southern Yemen to southeastern Turkey. The majority of volcanic products are alkali basalts that erupted in restricted areas, commonly over periods of a million or more years, building mafic lava fields, each known in Arabic as a “harrat.” Harrat volcanism...
Science
Uplift along the north rim of Yellowstone Caldera
An area on the north rim of Yellowstone caldera, to the south of Norris Geyser Basin, started to uplift slightly in July 2025. Similar deformation occurred in the same area during 1996-2004 and reveals characteristics of the subsurface.
USGS volcano-hydrothermal fluid chemistry data
The USGS has published chemistry data for volcanic and hydrothermal fluids sampled at sites around the United States.
How are lava flows mapped in Hawaii?
Lava flow mapping provides situational awareness of volcanic eruptive hazards in Hawaii. During eruptions, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists employ a variety of techniques to collect and disseminate map data depicting key eruptive features, especially lava flows.