Aloha, it's your weekly Volcano Minute, brought to you by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. 

Today, we say a hui hou to one of volcanology’s true giants. 

Professor Bruce Houghton retired last year from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa after 25 years as the Gordon A. Macdonald Chair of Volcanology—a position held by only two people in the past fifty years. 

Born in New Zealand, Houghton came to Hawaii in 2000 and quickly became a central figure in understanding how volcanoes erupt and how communities live with them. He reshaped the way scientists interpret volcanic deposits, showing that the tiniest details—particle textures, densities, and how they travel—hold the keys to understanding eruption processes. 

Houghton also pioneered high‑speed imaging helping reveal that basaltic volcanoes like Kīlauea are far more complex than once believed. His research, widely cited around the world, demonstrates how explosivity at a volcano can shift rapidly during an eruption. 

Houghton worked closely with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and played major roles in the response to the Kīlauea 2008–2018 summit lava lake and the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption. His influence lives on through the students he trained—now working across the globe in volcano observatories, universities, and emergency management. 

Houghton championed bringing science and community together, reminding us that volcanic crises are human events as much as geological ones. His leadership earned him volcanology’s highest honors and international recognition. 

Though Houghton has returned to New Zealand, his collaborations continue, and his impact on how we understand Hawaii’s volcanoes will be felt for generations. 

Mahalo for listening, I’m Katie Mulliken and this was your weekly volcano minute.