Volcano Watch

When lava poured out over the floor of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa’s summit caldera, late on the night of November 27, 2022, it was still many hours away...

The 2018 collapse of southern Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) left a pit whose lowest point was about 500 m (1640 ft) above sea level (asl). Since 2020...

When we think about the Earth's magnetic field, we often associate it with compasses and navigation. However, did you know that our planet's magnetic...

Kīlauea volcano began erupting within Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit during the early morning of June 7. The eruption marks another in a series of...

In a recent “Volcano Watch” article, we learned about a remote sensing technique known as InSAR. This method of using satellite radar signals to...

Active volcanoes tell us their stories through earthquakes, deformation, gas emissions, and lava flows. We interpret those stories through myriad...

May 3rd, 2023, marked the fifth anniversary of the start of Kīlauea’s historic 2018 eruption that resulted in extensive lava flows from the East Rift...

May 2023 marks the 99th anniversary of a sequence of explosive eruptions from Kīlauea's summit that occurred over 16 days from May 11–27, 1924. During...

Five years ago, volcanic activity at Kīlauea dramatically changed when magma intruded into the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). What happened at Kīlauea...

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) was founded in 1912. Today, over 111 years later, HVO is one of five volcano observatories supported by the U.S...

The recent 2022 Mauna Loa eruption began just before midnight, at 11:21 p.m. on November 27.  The first caldera floor fissures were visible in webcams...

Where is magma stored beneath the surface of Kīlauea and how is it transported to the places where eruptions occur? Scientists have hypothesized the...

It’s official! Governor Green recently proclaimed that April is again Tsunami Awareness Month for the State of Hawaii. This is not to be confused with...

The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington State illustrated the hazards and impacts of lateral (ground-hugging) volcanic blasts on natural...

Shiny and elusive, featherlight and golden-brown. If poets were to write about rocks, I’m sure they would sing their praises of Pele’s hairs. Don’t be...

Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) are collaborating with academic colleagues to make field experiences in geology more...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will host an informal open house on March 15th about the proposed new building in Hilo and draft Environmental...

Understanding volcanic eruptions requires learning about where the erupted lavas come from deep within the volcano. But how do scientists get...

Over the past two decades, both scientists and members of the public have anticipated the occurrence of slow slip events (SSEs) on Kīlauea’s south...

Mauna Loa’s recent eruption is still fresh in the minds of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists and Island of Hawai‘i residents. Now is a...