Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Images related to natural hazards.
The Uwīkahuna WT (water-tube) instrument is still measured today, providing one of the longest records of deformation for any volcano. The tiltmeter is read by looking into the portal on each pot and adjusting the sight until two pins appear to touch.
The Uwīkahuna WT (water-tube) instrument is still measured today, providing one of the longest records of deformation for any volcano. The tiltmeter is read by looking into the portal on each pot and adjusting the sight until two pins appear to touch.
Big Pine Volcanic Field, California, from southwest cinder cone, with US Route 395 and Owens River in view
Big Pine Volcanic Field, California, from southwest cinder cone, with US Route 395 and Owens River in view
Coconut grove and campground on the southern shoreline of Kīlauea Volcano at Halapē before 1975 magnitude 7.7 earthquake. Halapē was a popular hiking destination in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Coconut grove and campground on the southern shoreline of Kīlauea Volcano at Halapē before 1975 magnitude 7.7 earthquake. Halapē was a popular hiking destination in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Recent light detection and ranging (lidar) imagery has allowed us to identify and map a large number of previously unrecognized landslides, or slides, in heavily forested terrain in the western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, Washington, and it has revealed that the few previously recognized areas of instability are actually composites of multiple smaller landslide
Recent light detection and ranging (lidar) imagery has allowed us to identify and map a large number of previously unrecognized landslides, or slides, in heavily forested terrain in the western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, Washington, and it has revealed that the few previously recognized areas of instability are actually composites of multiple smaller landslide
Shaded relief map of Kīlauea Volcano's summit with caldera bounding faults delineated.
Shaded relief map of Kīlauea Volcano's summit with caldera bounding faults delineated.
Seismic hazard across the State of Hawaii, with high seismic hazards depicted with warm colors (red-orange) and relatively low seismic hazards depicted with cool colors (green). Engineers use these types of maps to prescribe building codes known as Seismic Design Codes (SDC) and create earthquake resistant structures.
Seismic hazard across the State of Hawaii, with high seismic hazards depicted with warm colors (red-orange) and relatively low seismic hazards depicted with cool colors (green). Engineers use these types of maps to prescribe building codes known as Seismic Design Codes (SDC) and create earthquake resistant structures.
Vectors indicate Pacific Plate motion relative to presumed fixed mantle hot spot in millimeters per year. Gray lines indicate fracture zones. Isochrons along the Emperor Seamounts chain show the age of volcanism in millions of years. Ocean floor ages from imagery available on EarthByte.
Vectors indicate Pacific Plate motion relative to presumed fixed mantle hot spot in millimeters per year. Gray lines indicate fracture zones. Isochrons along the Emperor Seamounts chain show the age of volcanism in millions of years. Ocean floor ages from imagery available on EarthByte.
Mount Adams elevation is 3,745 m (12, 286 ft). Mount St. Helens was the smallest of five major volcanic peaks in Washington State.
Mount Adams elevation is 3,745 m (12, 286 ft). Mount St. Helens was the smallest of five major volcanic peaks in Washington State.
Family Emergency Preparedness Plan
Mount Baker's crater lake in 1976 formed due to glacial and snow melt as a result of increased heat from magma beneath the surface. Fumarole on left ejecting gas at a velocity of 268 kph (167 mph).
Mount Baker's crater lake in 1976 formed due to glacial and snow melt as a result of increased heat from magma beneath the surface. Fumarole on left ejecting gas at a velocity of 268 kph (167 mph).
Brimstone Basin, Yellowstone, aerial photo with overlay of two types of altered ground (light blue and pale pink shading) and locations of gas measurements (red dots). 2012 study
Brimstone Basin, Yellowstone, aerial photo with overlay of two types of altered ground (light blue and pale pink shading) and locations of gas measurements (red dots). 2012 study
Geologic Hazards at Volcanoes (click for larger version)
Geologic Hazards at Volcanoes (click for larger version)
Mount Scott Lookout seismic and GPS volcano monitoring station, view from the southwest. Near Crater Lake, Oregon.
Mount Scott Lookout seismic and GPS volcano monitoring station, view from the southwest. Near Crater Lake, Oregon.
Deformation monitoring equipment—GPS antenna maintenance on south side of Crater Lake National Park Boathouse on Wizard Island. Oregon
Deformation monitoring equipment—GPS antenna maintenance on south side of Crater Lake National Park Boathouse on Wizard Island. Oregon
Oblique aerial photograph of source areas and runout paths of some of the devastating debris flows that were responsible for more than 20,000 fatalities in Vargas state, Venezuela, December 1999.
Oblique aerial photograph of source areas and runout paths of some of the devastating debris flows that were responsible for more than 20,000 fatalities in Vargas state, Venezuela, December 1999.
Lava-flow hazard zones map, Island of Hawai‘i. See Full Map for complete legend.
Lava-flow hazard zones map, Island of Hawai‘i. See Full Map for complete legend.
Sampling gas and taking temperature measurements from a fumarole at the summit of Mount Rainier, Washington.
Sampling gas and taking temperature measurements from a fumarole at the summit of Mount Rainier, Washington.
Slope map of Mauna Loa, including lava flows erupted since 1823 (gray), showing the approximate number of hours or days it took for a flow to advance from the vent location to the ocean or maximum reach of a flow. One flow that moved down the steep slopes on west flank of Mauna Loa reached the ocean in as little as 3 hours after the vent started erupting in 1950.
Slope map of Mauna Loa, including lava flows erupted since 1823 (gray), showing the approximate number of hours or days it took for a flow to advance from the vent location to the ocean or maximum reach of a flow. One flow that moved down the steep slopes on west flank of Mauna Loa reached the ocean in as little as 3 hours after the vent started erupting in 1950.
Pyroclastic flow (dense darker grey billowing mass) travels down slope of Mayon volcano, Philippines while ash column rises from the vent. Dilute, lighter-colored ash billows off leading edge.
Pyroclastic flow (dense darker grey billowing mass) travels down slope of Mayon volcano, Philippines while ash column rises from the vent. Dilute, lighter-colored ash billows off leading edge.
Map of hazard zones for ground fractures and "small-scale" subsidence for the Island of Hawai‘i. Subsidence and fracturing events are frequent in zone 1, which covers the summit and rift zones of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, but are somewhat less frequent in zone 2, on the south flank of Kīlauea.
Map of hazard zones for ground fractures and "small-scale" subsidence for the Island of Hawai‘i. Subsidence and fracturing events are frequent in zone 1, which covers the summit and rift zones of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, but are somewhat less frequent in zone 2, on the south flank of Kīlauea.
The older or original suggested location of this rift is shown with a blue dashed line. Black arrows show one possibility for the westward migration of the Nīnole Hills rift to the location of Mauna Loa's current Southwest Rift Zone (yellow dashed line). The South Kona Slump and ‘Ālika-1 and ‘Ālika-2 landslides are shown off the west coast of the island.
The older or original suggested location of this rift is shown with a blue dashed line. Black arrows show one possibility for the westward migration of the Nīnole Hills rift to the location of Mauna Loa's current Southwest Rift Zone (yellow dashed line). The South Kona Slump and ‘Ālika-1 and ‘Ālika-2 landslides are shown off the west coast of the island.