Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Images

Images related to natural hazards.

Filter Total Items: 7266
Latest upgrade of seismic stations at Kīlauea summit completed...
Latest upgrade of seismic stations at Kīlauea summit completed
Latest upgrade of seismic stations at Kīlauea summit completed
Latest upgrade of seismic stations at Kīlauea summit completed

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory broadband-seismic stations located at the summit of Kīlauea have been significantly upgraded over the past three years. During the upgrades, HVO field engineers (inset) complete the wiring connections of the solar power and telemetry systems at each site, which are about 10 m (33 ft) from the seismometer.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory broadband-seismic stations located at the summit of Kīlauea have been significantly upgraded over the past three years. During the upgrades, HVO field engineers (inset) complete the wiring connections of the solar power and telemetry systems at each site, which are about 10 m (33 ft) from the seismometer.

Steaming Pavlof volcano and Pavlof Sister as viewed from the west s...
Steaming Pavlof volcano and Pavlof Sister as viewed from the west s...
Steaming Pavlof volcano and Pavlof Sister as viewed from the west s...
Steaming Pavlof volcano and Pavlof Sister as viewed from the west s...

Steaming Pavlof volcano and Pavlof Sister as viewed from the west shore of Unga Island, Alaska. View is to the west.

Piles of seaweed fragments on sand beach. Low sand cliff on left with broken walkway. Multistory buildings, clouds in distance.
Sunset Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida, after Tropical Storm Colin
Sunset Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida, after Tropical Storm Colin
Sunset Beach in St. Pete Beach, Florida, after Tropical Storm Colin

Photograph taken June 7, 2016, one day after Tropical Storm Colin, on Sunset Beach in the town of St. Pete Beach, Florida. Storm waves eroded the beach and dune, producing a cliff-like feature called a beach scarp.

Different textures on the surface of the summit lava lake...
Different textures on the surface of the summit lava lake
Different textures on the surface of the summit lava lake
Different textures on the surface of the summit lava lake

The activity in the summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u has been typical in recent weeks, with the normal fluctuations in lava level. The low sun angle during the late afternoon provided good views of the different surface textures on the lake.

The activity in the summit lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u has been typical in recent weeks, with the normal fluctuations in lava level. The low sun angle during the late afternoon provided good views of the different surface textures on the lake.

Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the cr...
Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the cr...
Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the cr...
Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the cr...

Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the crust on the lake surface is thin and flexible. In addition, small "blisters" cover large portions of the lake surface. HVO geologists have seen these blisters form, and they appear to be small bubbles that rise and push up the thin crust, without breaking it.

Subtle folds are common on the lake surface, suggesting that the crust on the lake surface is thin and flexible. In addition, small "blisters" cover large portions of the lake surface. HVO geologists have seen these blisters form, and they appear to be small bubbles that rise and push up the thin crust, without breaking it.

A clearer picture of the folding on the lake surface, which resembl...
A clearer picture of the folding on the lake surface, which resembl...
A clearer picture of the folding on the lake surface, which resembl...
A clearer picture of the folding on the lake surface, which resembl...

A clearer picture of the folding on the lake surface, which resemble folds in a piece of thin fabric. The field of view in this photo is roughly 50 meters (yards) wide.

A view of the northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. ...
northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. The lake surf...
northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. The lake surf...
northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. The lake surf...

A view of the northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. The lake surface (lower left in photo) was about 22 meters (72 feet) below the crater rim (upper right in photo). The uppermost section of the crater wall is formed by stacks of thin overflows from mid-2015.

A view of the northern Overlook crater wall, through passing fume. The lake surface (lower left in photo) was about 22 meters (72 feet) below the crater rim (upper right in photo). The uppermost section of the crater wall is formed by stacks of thin overflows from mid-2015.

Tracking the latest moves of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa...
Tracking the latest moves of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa
Tracking the latest moves of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa
Tracking the latest moves of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images of Kīlauea (left) and Mauna Loa (right) spanning the past several years. Concentric patterns of colored fringes indicate magma accumulation centered near the summit calderas of both volcanoes.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images of Kīlauea (left) and Mauna Loa (right) spanning the past several years. Concentric patterns of colored fringes indicate magma accumulation centered near the summit calderas of both volcanoes.

Lava spatters into the air
Lava Spattering
Lava Spattering
Lava Spattering

An animated GIF of lava spattering at  Pu'u 'O 'o crater pulled from the Pu'u 'O'o Producing Spattering video.

This video clip shows HVO geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an a...
Geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an active pāhoehoe breakout on...
Geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an active pāhoehoe breakout on...
Geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an active pāhoehoe breakout on...

This video clip shows HVO geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an active pāhoehoe breakout on the episode 61g lava flow. The chemistry of these lava samples provides information on the magma plumbing system. Sampling has been a regular part of monitoring Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō eruption.

This video clip shows HVO geologist Tim Orr sampling lava from an active pāhoehoe breakout on the episode 61g lava flow. The chemistry of these lava samples provides information on the magma plumbing system. Sampling has been a regular part of monitoring Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō eruption.

The Kamokuna ocean entry and lava delta...
The Kamokuna ocean entry and lava delta
The Kamokuna ocean entry and lava delta
The Kamokuna ocean entry and lava delta

Kīlauea Volcano's Kamokuna ocean entry is fed by lava that erupts from the east flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, visible on the skyline at upper left. It travels from the vent to the ocean via a lava tube, marked in places by fume emanating from the tube roof.

Kīlauea Volcano's Kamokuna ocean entry is fed by lava that erupts from the east flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, visible on the skyline at upper left. It travels from the vent to the ocean via a lava tube, marked in places by fume emanating from the tube roof.

A series of images takes a tour of the area of a large catastrophic landslide and shows the unstable slope before the event.
Mud Creek topographic point clouds
Mud Creek topographic point clouds
Mud Creek topographic point clouds

Imagery shows topographic point clouds from photos, first from September 11, 2015 courtesy of California Coastal Records Project, second from March 8, 2017 (USGS photo), third from May 19, 2017 (USGS photo), and fourth from May 27, 2017 (USGS photo) 7 days following the catastrophic Highway 1 landslide.

Imagery shows topographic point clouds from photos, first from September 11, 2015 courtesy of California Coastal Records Project, second from March 8, 2017 (USGS photo), third from May 19, 2017 (USGS photo), and fourth from May 27, 2017 (USGS photo) 7 days following the catastrophic Highway 1 landslide.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Jaggar Museum...
HVO and Jaggar Museum
HVO and Jaggar Museum
HVO and Jaggar Museum

Mauna Loa looms in the background behind the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Jaggar Museum complex, perched at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. The cliff in the foreground is Kīlauea's caldera rim.

Mauna Loa looms in the background behind the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Jaggar Museum complex, perched at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. The cliff in the foreground is Kīlauea's caldera rim.

Halema‘uma‘u lava lake...
Halema‘uma‘u lava lake
Halema‘uma‘u lava lake
Halema‘uma‘u lava lake

View looking southeast along the long axis of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. The lava lake is about 260 m (285 yd) long and 200 m (220 yd) wide.

View looking southeast along the long axis of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit. The lava lake is about 260 m (285 yd) long and 200 m (220 yd) wide.

View of the Kamokuna lava delta and the lava structure encasing the...
View of the Kamokuna lava delta and the lava structure encasing the...
View of the Kamokuna lava delta and the lava structure encasing the...
View of the Kamokuna lava delta and the lava structure encasing the...

View of the Kamokuna lava delta and the lava structure encasing the lava stream where it emerges from the mouth of the lava tube in the face of the sea cliff.

Map of flow field...
Map of flow field
Map of flow field
Map of flow field

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of May 3 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as of May 31 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray. The yellow line is the trace of the active lava tube (dashed where uncertain).

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of May 3 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as of May 31 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray. The yellow line is the trace of the active lava tube (dashed where uncertain).

Sluggish breakouts near the base of the pali...
Sluggish breakouts near base of the pali
Sluggish breakouts near base of the pali
Sluggish breakouts near base of the pali

Sluggish pāhoehoe breakouts remain active on the coastal plain, near the base of the pali. Over the past week, these breakouts have not advanced any significant distance. There were also several small lava channels on the steep section of the pali today (May 27).

Sluggish pāhoehoe breakouts remain active on the coastal plain, near the base of the pali. Over the past week, these breakouts have not advanced any significant distance. There were also several small lava channels on the steep section of the pali today (May 27).

Was this page helpful?