Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Great Hawaii ShakeOut

The Koa‘e fault system connects Kīlauea’s East and Southwest Rift Zones south of the caldera. Faults here appear as low cliffs, or “scarps” along Hilina Pali Road in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. These fault-cliffs slip during major earthquakes, such as those of May 4, 2018—near the beginning of Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption.

No significant changes at Kīlauea's summit water lake

Comparison photos of the floor of Kīlauea caldera

Major earthquakes cannot be predicted. Successful earthquake predictions need to have three things correct: the location, the time, and the magnitude. The best anyone can reliably do is get two out of three correct. And the most important thing for everyone to do is prepare—have a plan, build a kit, and practice drills. Join us for the ShakeOut on October 15th!

Comparison photos of Uēkahuna Bluff

A news release published by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on September 30, 2020, announces a report summarizing initial public input about the disaster recovery project to repair and/or replace critical infrastructure in the park, and U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities and equipment damaged during the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea Volcano.

Residents on the Island of Hawaiʻi are accustomed to feeling earthquakes. As the ground shaking subsides and the safety of everyone around is assured, one of the first questions we typically ask is “how big was that earthquake?”

Videos of the water lake at Kīlauea's summit

Last year at Kīlauea Volcano, water appeared within the summit caldera where a lava lake had been for the previous decade. This piece covers the reliance on Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) for sampling the lake water, the growth and significance of the new water lake, and implications for future eruptive activity at Kīlauea's summit. 

Views of Kīlauea's growing summit water lake; Sulfur Banks and Steam Vents; gravity survey at Kīlauea summit