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Volcano Hazards Program

Find U.S. Volcano

There are about 170 potentially active volcanoes in the U.S. The mission of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program is to enhance public safety and minimize social and economic disruption from volcanic unrest and eruption through our National Volcano Early Warning System. We deliver forecasts, warnings, and information about volcano hazards based on a scientific understanding of volcanic behavior.

News

Volcano Watch — Remembering the 1926 Mauna Loa eruption a century later

Volcano Watch — Remembering the 1926 Mauna Loa eruption a century later

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?

Photo & Video Chronology — Episode 48 at Kīlauea summit, a new record

Photo & Video Chronology — Episode 48 at Kīlauea summit, a new record

Publications

Tephra from Kīlauea’s 2008–2018 lava lake eruption—Proximal deposits and dispersal characteristics Tephra from Kīlauea’s 2008–2018 lava lake eruption—Proximal deposits and dispersal characteristics

A network of ten buckets was established early in the 2008–2018 summit eruption at Kīlauea to collect proximal tephra ejected from the new, informally named the “Overlook crater”; the buckets were emptied on most days of the eruption thereafter. This report summarizes the results of more than 2,400 different sampling intervals (most 1–3 days long) during the eruption, focusing on the...
Authors
Don Swanson, Tim R. Orr, Matthew R. Patrick, Bruce F. Houghton

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...
Authors
Robert Van Alphen, Mel Rodgers, Rocco Malservisi, Charles B. Connor, Rachel Bakowski, Troy Berkey

From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation From start to stop: Simple methods for mapping susceptibility to landslide runout and debris-flow inundation

Landslide runout and debris-flow inundation can disrupt areas well beyond their initial sources, causing widespread damage and extensive fatalities. Understanding where they start and how far they might travel is essential in many locations worldwide. However, most landslide susceptibility maps focus on initiation areas and fail to incorporate runout areas. Furthermore, hazards vary...
Authors
Mark E. Reid, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Dianne L. Brien, Isaac Henry Leb, Andrew J. Cyr
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