Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

News

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.

Filter Total Items: 1787
Volcano Watch — Professor Jaggar Would Have Loved This View

Volcano Watch — Professor Jaggar Would Have Loved This View

Unusual, tantalizing, mesmerizing. Adrenaline-spiking, mid-life crisis(?). These words have been used in our recent Volcano Watch reports as we...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Unfamiliar Tricks from our Familiar Volcano

Volcano Watch — Unfamiliar Tricks from our Familiar Volcano

A human lifespan is but a blink of an eye compared to Kīlauea's 300,000-600,000 years of existence.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Eventful Week at Kīlauea's Summit Culminates in Small Explosion at Halema`uma`u

Volcano Watch — Eventful Week at Kīlauea's Summit Culminates in Small Explosion at Halema`uma`u

It was a busy week atop our favorite volcano as Halema`uma`u continued to emit a towering white plume of gas and ash that was visible for miles around...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Is Pele teasing us, revealing yet another facet of her personality?

Volcano Watch — Is Pele teasing us, revealing yet another facet of her personality?

Hundreds of visitors are driving to Kalapana each day to see the ocean entries of Kīlauea's east-rift lava flows. As these visitors watch the flows...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — A New Ash Plume Rises from Kīlauea's Summit

Volcano Watch — A New Ash Plume Rises from Kīlauea's Summit

Last week's "Volcano Watch" detailed the development of the new gas vent - and small explosive eruption - on the south wall of Halema`uma`u Crater.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Something Had to Change After 25 Years

Volcano Watch — Something Had to Change After 25 Years

2008 will be known as the year that Kīlauea Volcano had a mid-life crisis. After 25 years of almost continuous, effusive eruption from its east rift...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Pele Gives Plenty of Heat to Namakaokaha`i

Volcano Watch — Pele Gives Plenty of Heat to Namakaokaha`i

Last week was a family reunion of sorts, as Pele met her sister, Namakaokaha`i, when lava from Kīlauea Volcano entered the ocean for the first time...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Kīlauea Following One of Several Eruption Scenarios

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea Following One of Several Eruption Scenarios


Now that lava flows have reached the ocean below Royal Gardens subdivision, the concern 7 months ago of lava pouring northeast from a new vent toward...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Pele Revisits Royal Gardens

Volcano Watch — Pele Revisits Royal Gardens

After a few brief forays into the upper reaches of the Royal Gardens subdivision over the last several weeks, the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) flow...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — What was that on the Richter scale?

Volcano Watch — What was that on the Richter scale?

When the crust of the earth is subjected to great forces, such as the weight of the Hawaiian Islands or the forceful intrusion of magma, it can bend...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Can rocks speak to us? Yes, they can!

Volcano Watch — Can rocks speak to us? Yes, they can!

Oftentimes, in videos of Hawaiian eruptions, you may see people near the vent or the lava rivers sampling the molten rock. This can be dangerous work...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Volcanic Hazards Continue, Rain or Shine

Volcano Watch — Volcanic Hazards Continue, Rain or Shine

While most island residents were understandably concerned about our week of intense rain, HVO staff continued to monitor Kīlauea Volcano's eruption.

Read Article
Was this page helpful?