Footprints made in muddy ash during Kilauea's 1790 eruption are reminders that people experienced the largest explosive eruption in Hawai‘i in 1,000 years. More than 80, and possibly several hundred, people were killed by the eruption soon after the footprints were made.
How much of the Earth is volcanic?
More than 80 percent of the Earth's surface--above and below sea level--is of volcanic origin. Gaseous emissions from volcanic vents over hundreds of millions of years formed the Earth's earliest oceans and atmosphere, which supplied the ingredients vital to evolve and sustain life. Over geologic eons, countless volcanic eruptions have produced mountains, plateaus, and plains, which subsequently eroded and weathered into majestic landscapes and formed fertile soils.
Related Content
Do volcanoes affect weather?
Yes, volcanoes can affect weather and the Earth's climate. Following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, cooler than normal temperatures were recorded worldwide and brilliant sunsets and sunrises were attributed to this eruption that sent fine ash and gases high into the stratosphere, forming a large volcanic cloud that drifted around the world. The sulfur dioxide (SO2) in this...
Will extinct volcanoes on the east coast of the U.S. erupt again?
No. The geologic forces that generated volcanoes in the eastern United States millions of years ago no longer exist. Through plate tectonics, the eastern U.S. has been isolated from the global tectonic features (tectonic plate boundaries and hot spots in the mantle), that cause volcanic activity. So new volcanic activity is not possible now or in the near future. If you wait around several hundred...
Which volcanoes in the conterminous United States have erupted since the Nation was founded?
Excluding steam eruptions, these volcanoes have shown activity: Mount St. Helens, Washington - Eruptions and/or lava dome growth occurred in the late 1700s, 1800-1857, 1980-1986, and 2004-2008. Lassen Peak, California - A series of steam blasts began on May 30, 1914. An eruption occurred 12 months later on May 21, 1915. Minor activity continued through the middle of 1917. Mount Hood, Oregon -...
Where does the United States rank in the number of volcanoes?
The United States ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes (that is, those for which we have written accounts of eruptions). In addition, about 10 percent of the more than 1,500 volcanoes that have erupted in the past 10,000 years are located in the United States. Most of these volcanoes are found in the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, the...
What kind of school training do you need to become a volcanologist?
There are many paths to becoming a volcanologist. Most include a college or graduate school education in a scientific or technical field, but the range of specialties is very large. Training in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, biology, biochemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, atmospheric science, remote sensing, and related fields can be applied to the study of volcanoes and the...
What are some benefits of volcanic eruptions?
Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind: Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations. The internal heat associated with young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy . Most...
What are some examples of supervolcanoes?
Volcanoes that have produced exceedingly voluminous pyroclastic eruptions and formed large calderas in the past 2 million years include Yellowstone in northwest Wyoming, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Other 'supervolcanoes' would likely include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, Alaska (e.g. Aniakchak, Emmons, Fisher), and other areas...
How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge . About 500 of those 1,350 volcanoes have erupted in historical time. Many of those are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the " Ring of Fire ." In the United States, volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska...
Footprints in Ash from 1790 Kilauea Volcano Eruption
Footprints made in muddy ash during Kilauea's 1790 eruption are reminders that people experienced the largest explosive eruption in Hawai‘i in 1,000 years. More than 80, and possibly several hundred, people were killed by the eruption soon after the footprints were made.
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near flow front, just...
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near the flow front, just downslope of Cemetery Rd./AP‘A‘ā St. The horizontal incandescent cracks seen in the center and right portions of the photo indicate that the flow was inflating. pāhoehoe inflation is driven by continued supply of lava beneath the surface crust, which slowly raises the surface.
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near the flow front, just downslope of Cemetery Rd./AP‘A‘ā St. The horizontal incandescent cracks seen in the center and right portions of the photo indicate that the flow was inflating. pāhoehoe inflation is driven by continued supply of lava beneath the surface crust, which slowly raises the surface.
Volcanic Deposits at Okmok
Some of the thick volcanic deposits at Okmok that are being studied to reconstruct the sequence of events during the 2008 eruption. Photo taken on August 6, 2010 by Dr. Ort.
Some of the thick volcanic deposits at Okmok that are being studied to reconstruct the sequence of events during the 2008 eruption. Photo taken on August 6, 2010 by Dr. Ort.
Trees Buried in Volcanic Sediment, Sandy River 1
Trunks of forest trees, initially growing on a terrace above the Sandy River (Oregon) at Oxbow Regional Park, were buried by rapid deposition of sediment following a dome-building eruption at Mount Hood in 1781. Erosion during a flood about a week before the photo was taken exposed this "ghost forest".
Trunks of forest trees, initially growing on a terrace above the Sandy River (Oregon) at Oxbow Regional Park, were buried by rapid deposition of sediment following a dome-building eruption at Mount Hood in 1781. Erosion during a flood about a week before the photo was taken exposed this "ghost forest".
Stories of Lava Flows and Volcanic Landscapes from Ka'u to North Kona Featured in Public Talk
Two prominent, historic lava flows are visible in this aerial photo of West Hawai‘i. Kīholo Bay is flanked by the 1859 Mauna Loa flow (left) and a Hualālai flow that erupted around 1800 or earlier (right). These lava flows and other volcanic landscapes along Highways 11 and 190 will be the focus of a Volcano Awareness Month talk in Kona on Jan. 22
Two prominent, historic lava flows are visible in this aerial photo of West Hawai‘i. Kīholo Bay is flanked by the 1859 Mauna Loa flow (left) and a Hualālai flow that erupted around 1800 or earlier (right). These lava flows and other volcanic landscapes along Highways 11 and 190 will be the focus of a Volcano Awareness Month talk in Kona on Jan. 22
Aerial View of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists monitor Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth. In this 1985 aerial photo, Mauna Loa looms above Kīlauea Volcano’s summit caldera (left center) and nearly obscures Hualālai in the far distance (upper right).
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists monitor Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth. In this 1985 aerial photo, Mauna Loa looms above Kīlauea Volcano’s summit caldera (left center) and nearly obscures Hualālai in the far distance (upper right).
Related Content
Do volcanoes affect weather?
Yes, volcanoes can affect weather and the Earth's climate. Following the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, cooler than normal temperatures were recorded worldwide and brilliant sunsets and sunrises were attributed to this eruption that sent fine ash and gases high into the stratosphere, forming a large volcanic cloud that drifted around the world. The sulfur dioxide (SO2) in this...
Will extinct volcanoes on the east coast of the U.S. erupt again?
No. The geologic forces that generated volcanoes in the eastern United States millions of years ago no longer exist. Through plate tectonics, the eastern U.S. has been isolated from the global tectonic features (tectonic plate boundaries and hot spots in the mantle), that cause volcanic activity. So new volcanic activity is not possible now or in the near future. If you wait around several hundred...
Which volcanoes in the conterminous United States have erupted since the Nation was founded?
Excluding steam eruptions, these volcanoes have shown activity: Mount St. Helens, Washington - Eruptions and/or lava dome growth occurred in the late 1700s, 1800-1857, 1980-1986, and 2004-2008. Lassen Peak, California - A series of steam blasts began on May 30, 1914. An eruption occurred 12 months later on May 21, 1915. Minor activity continued through the middle of 1917. Mount Hood, Oregon -...
Where does the United States rank in the number of volcanoes?
The United States ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes (that is, those for which we have written accounts of eruptions). In addition, about 10 percent of the more than 1,500 volcanoes that have erupted in the past 10,000 years are located in the United States. Most of these volcanoes are found in the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, the...
What kind of school training do you need to become a volcanologist?
There are many paths to becoming a volcanologist. Most include a college or graduate school education in a scientific or technical field, but the range of specialties is very large. Training in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, biology, biochemistry, mathematics, statistics, engineering, atmospheric science, remote sensing, and related fields can be applied to the study of volcanoes and the...
What are some benefits of volcanic eruptions?
Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind: Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations. The internal heat associated with young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy . Most...
What are some examples of supervolcanoes?
Volcanoes that have produced exceedingly voluminous pyroclastic eruptions and formed large calderas in the past 2 million years include Yellowstone in northwest Wyoming, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Other 'supervolcanoes' would likely include the large caldera volcanoes of Japan, Indonesia, Alaska (e.g. Aniakchak, Emmons, Fisher), and other areas...
How many active volcanoes are there on Earth?
There are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge . About 500 of those 1,350 volcanoes have erupted in historical time. Many of those are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the " Ring of Fire ." In the United States, volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska...
Footprints in Ash from 1790 Kilauea Volcano Eruption
Footprints made in muddy ash during Kilauea's 1790 eruption are reminders that people experienced the largest explosive eruption in Hawai‘i in 1,000 years. More than 80, and possibly several hundred, people were killed by the eruption soon after the footprints were made.
Footprints made in muddy ash during Kilauea's 1790 eruption are reminders that people experienced the largest explosive eruption in Hawai‘i in 1,000 years. More than 80, and possibly several hundred, people were killed by the eruption soon after the footprints were made.
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near flow front, just...
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near the flow front, just downslope of Cemetery Rd./AP‘A‘ā St. The horizontal incandescent cracks seen in the center and right portions of the photo indicate that the flow was inflating. pāhoehoe inflation is driven by continued supply of lava beneath the surface crust, which slowly raises the surface.
A typical portion of the pāhoehoe flow margin near the flow front, just downslope of Cemetery Rd./AP‘A‘ā St. The horizontal incandescent cracks seen in the center and right portions of the photo indicate that the flow was inflating. pāhoehoe inflation is driven by continued supply of lava beneath the surface crust, which slowly raises the surface.
Volcanic Deposits at Okmok
Some of the thick volcanic deposits at Okmok that are being studied to reconstruct the sequence of events during the 2008 eruption. Photo taken on August 6, 2010 by Dr. Ort.
Some of the thick volcanic deposits at Okmok that are being studied to reconstruct the sequence of events during the 2008 eruption. Photo taken on August 6, 2010 by Dr. Ort.
Trees Buried in Volcanic Sediment, Sandy River 1
Trunks of forest trees, initially growing on a terrace above the Sandy River (Oregon) at Oxbow Regional Park, were buried by rapid deposition of sediment following a dome-building eruption at Mount Hood in 1781. Erosion during a flood about a week before the photo was taken exposed this "ghost forest".
Trunks of forest trees, initially growing on a terrace above the Sandy River (Oregon) at Oxbow Regional Park, were buried by rapid deposition of sediment following a dome-building eruption at Mount Hood in 1781. Erosion during a flood about a week before the photo was taken exposed this "ghost forest".
Stories of Lava Flows and Volcanic Landscapes from Ka'u to North Kona Featured in Public Talk
Two prominent, historic lava flows are visible in this aerial photo of West Hawai‘i. Kīholo Bay is flanked by the 1859 Mauna Loa flow (left) and a Hualālai flow that erupted around 1800 or earlier (right). These lava flows and other volcanic landscapes along Highways 11 and 190 will be the focus of a Volcano Awareness Month talk in Kona on Jan. 22
Two prominent, historic lava flows are visible in this aerial photo of West Hawai‘i. Kīholo Bay is flanked by the 1859 Mauna Loa flow (left) and a Hualālai flow that erupted around 1800 or earlier (right). These lava flows and other volcanic landscapes along Highways 11 and 190 will be the focus of a Volcano Awareness Month talk in Kona on Jan. 22
Aerial View of Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists monitor Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth. In this 1985 aerial photo, Mauna Loa looms above Kīlauea Volcano’s summit caldera (left center) and nearly obscures Hualālai in the far distance (upper right).
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists monitor Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth. In this 1985 aerial photo, Mauna Loa looms above Kīlauea Volcano’s summit caldera (left center) and nearly obscures Hualālai in the far distance (upper right).