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The Art (and Science) of Assigning Volcano Alerts Levels...
The Art (and Science) of Assigning Volcano Alerts Levels
The Art (and Science) of Assigning Volcano Alerts Levels
The Art (and Science) of Assigning Volcano Alerts Levels

The four-tiered USGS Volcanic Activity Alert-Notification System uses Volcano Alert Level terms and Aviation Color Codes to inform people about a volcano's status and potential volcanic ash hazards. For more information about this system, please see http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3139/.

The four-tiered USGS Volcanic Activity Alert-Notification System uses Volcano Alert Level terms and Aviation Color Codes to inform people about a volcano's status and potential volcanic ash hazards. For more information about this system, please see http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3139/.

Mauna Loa 1975 Eruption...
Mauna Loa 1975 Eruption
Mauna Loa 1975 Eruption
Mauna Loa 1975 Eruption

After 25 years of slumber, Mauna Loa woke with a spectacular, but short-lived, eruption that began just before midnight on July 5. Lava fountains soon erupted from fissures extending across the length of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, and into the upper ends of the volcano's northeast and southwest rift zones.

After 25 years of slumber, Mauna Loa woke with a spectacular, but short-lived, eruption that began just before midnight on July 5. Lava fountains soon erupted from fissures extending across the length of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, and into the upper ends of the volcano's northeast and southwest rift zones.

Mauna Loa 1950 Eruption...
Mauna Loa 1950 Eruption
Mauna Loa 1950 Eruption
Mauna Loa 1950 Eruption

On June 1, 1950, a 2.4-km (1.5 mi) long fissure erupted high on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone at 9:04 p.m. Minutes later, the roar of lava fountains could be heard up to 24 km (15 mi) away.

On June 1, 1950, a 2.4-km (1.5 mi) long fissure erupted high on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone at 9:04 p.m. Minutes later, the roar of lava fountains could be heard up to 24 km (15 mi) away.

Image: USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
Image: USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood

USGS scientist Brad Slaugh measures streamflow following a flash flood event in Hildale, Utah.

Image: USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood

USGS scientist Brad Slaugh measures streamflow following a flash flood event in Hildale, Utah.

Image: USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood
USGS Deploys Crews to Site of Flash Flood

USGS scientist Brad Slaugh taking measurements following a flash flood event in Hildale, Utah.

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, looking northwest. The floor of the crate...
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, looking NW. The floor of the crater was paved in...
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, looking NW. The floor of the crater was paved in...
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, looking NW. The floor of the crater was paved in...

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, looking northwest. The floor of the crater was paved in late August by lava that erupted from a vent at the northeast edge of the crater, which is the heavily fuming area to the right.

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, looking northwest. The floor of the crater was paved in late August by lava that erupted from a vent at the northeast edge of the crater, which is the heavily fuming area to the right.

Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-northwest. The...
Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-NW. The west e...
Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-NW. The west e...
Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-NW. The west e...

Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-northwest. The west edge of the crater is to the right. The western pit, with the lava pond, is just above and left of center. Notice the vaguely arcuate line of fume that wraps from the south edge of the crater, around the western pit, and back to the northwest edge of the crater in the background.

Photo of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō west of the crater, looking north-northwest. The west edge of the crater is to the right. The western pit, with the lava pond, is just above and left of center. Notice the vaguely arcuate line of fume that wraps from the south edge of the crater, around the western pit, and back to the northwest edge of the crater in the background.

Small-scale map of flow field...
Small-scale map of flow field
Small-scale map of flow field
Small-scale map of flow field

This small-scale map shows Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow in relation to the eastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i. The area of the flow on August 26 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of September 11 is shown in red. The yellow lines show the active lava tube system.

This small-scale map shows Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow in relation to the eastern part of the Island of Hawai‘i. The area of the flow on August 26 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of September 11 is shown in red. The yellow lines show the active lava tube system.

There has been no significant change on the flow field northeast of...
There has been no significant change on the flow field NE of Pu‘u ‘...
There has been no significant change on the flow field NE of Pu‘u ‘...
There has been no significant change on the flow field NE of Pu‘u ‘...

There has been no significant change on the flow field northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and some of the active flows continue to creep into the forest along the north edge of the flow field, as seen here, looking roughly northwest. Activity has been remarkably stable and consistent, with no overall advancement of the flows, for the last several weeks.

There has been no significant change on the flow field northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and some of the active flows continue to creep into the forest along the north edge of the flow field, as seen here, looking roughly northwest. Activity has been remarkably stable and consistent, with no overall advancement of the flows, for the last several weeks.

Large-scale map with thermal mosaic overlay...
Large-scale map with thermal mosaic overlay
Large-scale map with thermal mosaic overlay
Large-scale map with thermal mosaic overlay

This map overlays a georeferenced thermal image mosaic onto a map of the flow field to show the distribution of active and recently active breakouts. The thermal images were collected during a helicopter overflight of the flow field on September 11. The June 27th flow is outlined in green to highlight the current flow margin.

This map overlays a georeferenced thermal image mosaic onto a map of the flow field to show the distribution of active and recently active breakouts. The thermal images were collected during a helicopter overflight of the flow field on September 11. The June 27th flow is outlined in green to highlight the current flow margin.

George Kojima was HVO's MacGyver decades before the MacGyver TV sho...
George Kojima was HVO's MacGyver decades before the MacGyver TV show
George Kojima was HVO's MacGyver decades before the MacGyver TV show
George Kojima was HVO's MacGyver decades before the MacGyver TV show

George Kojima, circa 1959, analyzing volcanic gases using the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's state-of-the-art (at the time) mass spectrometer. USGS photo.

Preview image of swath bathymetric grid collected offshore of Fire Island, NY
Swath Bathymetric Grid
Swath Bathymetric Grid
Swath Bathymetric Grid

This bathymetric grid represents approximately 3900 kilometers of bathymetric data collected in 2014. These data were collected using a dual-head R2Sonic 2024 multibeam echosounder (MBES) by Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey, Inc., during USGS field activity 2014-072-FA.

This bathymetric grid represents approximately 3900 kilometers of bathymetric data collected in 2014. These data were collected using a dual-head R2Sonic 2024 multibeam echosounder (MBES) by Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey, Inc., during USGS field activity 2014-072-FA.

Satellite image shows June 27th lava flow...
Satellite image shows June 27th lava flow
Satellite image shows June 27th lava flow
Satellite image shows June 27th lava flow

This satellite image was captured on Wednesday, September 2, by the Advanced Land Imager instrument onboard NASA's Earth Observing 1 satellite. The image is provided courtesy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Although this is a false-color image, the color map has been chosen to mimic what the human eye would expect to see.

This satellite image was captured on Wednesday, September 2, by the Advanced Land Imager instrument onboard NASA's Earth Observing 1 satellite. The image is provided courtesy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Although this is a false-color image, the color map has been chosen to mimic what the human eye would expect to see.

A time-averaged image from Duck, North Carolina, on September 1, 2015.
A time-averaged image from Duck, North Carolina, on September 1, 2015
A time-averaged image from Duck, North Carolina, on September 1, 2015
A time-averaged image from Duck, North Carolina, on September 1, 2015

A time-averaged image from Duck, North Carolina, on September 1, 2015. Dark bands extending offshore from the beach show the rip current channels.

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side, looking north. The current c...
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side
View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side, looking north. The current crater in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is only about half the diameter of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's previous crater, which is defined by the rim of the tephra cone remnants in the foreground and background. That older crater's western edge extended to about the left edge of the photograph.

View of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the south side, looking north. The current crater in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is only about half the diameter of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's previous crater, which is defined by the rim of the tephra cone remnants in the foreground and background. That older crater's western edge extended to about the left edge of the photograph.

A tiny lava pond, about 10 m (33 ft) across, was visible within a v...
A tiny lava pond, about 10 m (33 ft) across, was visible within a v...
A tiny lava pond, about 10 m (33 ft) across, was visible within a v...
A tiny lava pond, about 10 m (33 ft) across, was visible within a v...

A tiny lava pond, about 10 m (33 ft) across, was visible within a vent near the south edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's crater. Can you spot it? It's near the center of the photograph.

A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemi...
A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemi...
A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemi...
A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemi...

A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemical analysis. Can you spot the USGS geologist collecting the sample? He is just below the center of the photograph. The small lava pond is just above center, partly hidden by a small spatter mound.

A piece of the new flow on the crater floor was collected for chemical analysis. Can you spot the USGS geologist collecting the sample? He is just below the center of the photograph. The small lava pond is just above center, partly hidden by a small spatter mound.

USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's curr...
USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's curr...
USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's curr...
USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's curr...

USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's current crater. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's high point - the northwestern remnant of the original cone that formed in the 1980's - is in the background. This higher ground provides a good perch for some of HVO's webcams, near upper right.

USGS scientists make observations from the edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's current crater. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's high point - the northwestern remnant of the original cone that formed in the 1980's - is in the background. This higher ground provides a good perch for some of HVO's webcams, near upper right.

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