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Daily updates about ongoing eruptions, recent images and videos of summit and East Rift Zone volcanic activity, maps, and data about recent earthquakes in Hawaii are posted on the HVO website. 

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and colleagues.

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Volcano Watch — Tiny changes at Mauna Loa’s summit hold big clues

Volcano Watch — Tiny changes at Mauna Loa’s summit hold big clues

Although Mauna Loa is Earth’s largest active volcano, it has lived in the shadow of Kīlauea since it last erupted in 1984.  The geologic record shows...

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Volcano Watch — The rise and fall of lava lakes

Volcano Watch — The rise and fall of lava lakes

May 3rd marks three years since the start of the devastating lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea. In 2018, rising summit lava lake levels, caused...

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Volcano Watch — How measuring gravity on Mauna Kea helps us monitor Mauna Loa

Volcano Watch — How measuring gravity on Mauna Kea helps us monitor Mauna Loa

Gravimeters, essentially extremely precise pendulums, can measure a change in the force of gravity to one-in-one billionth of the force you feel every...

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Volcano Watch — Kīlauea’s other rift zone—Young activity in the Southwest Rift Zone

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea’s other rift zone—Young activity in the Southwest Rift Zone

It is no secret that the Island of Hawaiʻi is home to fantastic volcanic features, many of which have been created during eruptions of Kīlauea, Mauna...

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Volcano Watch — What’s that (seismic) noise?

Volcano Watch — What’s that (seismic) noise?

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) uses dozens of seismometers to locate individual earthquakes and identify signals that are related to...

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Volcano Watch — The lava lakes of Kīlauea then and now

Volcano Watch — The lava lakes of Kīlauea then and now

One of the most interesting aspects of the current activity in Halemaʻumaʻu is the occasional oozing of lava around the edges of the entire crater...

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Volcano Watch — Aerial photographs and volcanic ash: Looking back to move forward

Volcano Watch — Aerial photographs and volcanic ash: Looking back to move forward

A new project at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is once again making use of old aerial photographs and field notes that were used to make...

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Volcano Watch — Using the ocean to track volcanic activity at Kīlauea

Volcano Watch — Using the ocean to track volcanic activity at Kīlauea

Ocean swells occur continuously around the world. As these swells rise and fall, they couple with the ocean floor below them creating a constant...

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Volcano Watch — “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Volcano Watch — “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Mauna Loa has been in the news lately, as the volcano continues to awaken from its slumber. While an eruption of Mauna Loa is not imminent, now is the...

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Volcano Watch — Seismicity preceding the 2020 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano

Volcano Watch — Seismicity preceding the 2020 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano

Pele returned to the summit of Kīlauea on the evening of December 20, 2020. Incredible video documents the start of the new eruption in Halema‘uma‘u...

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Volcano Watch — When will Mauna Loa erupt next?

Volcano Watch — When will Mauna Loa erupt next?

“When will Mauna Loa erupt next?” This was the title of a Volcano Awareness Month video presentation released by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory...

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Volcano Watch — What’s going on at Kīlauea’s summit lava lake?

Volcano Watch — What’s going on at Kīlauea’s summit lava lake?

Kīlauea’s current lava lake formed on December 20th and rose rapidly within Halema‘uma‘u crater during the dynamic first week of the ongoing summit...

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