Volcano Watch

On June 27, 1952, an eruption started at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, ending a period of quiescence that had lasted nearly 18 years.

As many people have noted, the last global pandemic was raging one hundred years ago.  Kīlauea was erupting 100 years ago, although it was certainly...

If you were around the Island of Hawai‘i—or even other Hawaiian Islands, or Guam!—between May and August of 2018, you likely know that Kīlauea’s lower...

The past two years of "Volcano Watch" articles from late May focused on commemorating the 49th and 50th anniversaries of the Mauna Ulu eruption...

It takes a village to run a volcano observatory. The position of Deputy Scientist-in-Charge (DSIC), once called Operations Manager but always known as...

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is "to monitor, investigate, and assess hazards from active volcanoes...

Many messages to AskHVO (askHVO@usgs.gov) request resources relating to geologic maps and geographic information systems (GIS) data. "Is there a map...

This week, many of us read news coverage of a recent study suggesting that unusually heavy rainfall triggered the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea. To address...

Mount St. Helens was exploding! The first eruption in the Cascades since 1914–1917 (Lassen Peak) started on March 27, 1980. April became a frenzied...

With heavy heart, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) bids aloha to Janet Babb, outreach geologist and educator extraordinaire who retired...

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, has erupted, on average, every 5–6 years during the past 3,000 years.

The presence of water in Halema‘uma‘u has sparked an important discussion about what the pond means for future eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano. There are...

In the past, HVO would occasionally post images of people collecting lava samples on our website. These photos usually featured a person (with little...

Last week's Volcano Watch provided details of events leading up to the dropping of bombs on a Mauna Loa lava flow on December 27, 1935. Here's the...

In late February 2020, Hawaii media reported on the recent discovery of two bombs on the north flank of Mauna Loa, but details were lacking. Today, we...

February 28, 2020, marks the 65th anniversary of Kīlauea Volcano's 1955 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption. In recognition of this historic event...

The origin(s) of volcanic ash deposits on the Island of Hawai‘i have been an enigma, especially those found on and between Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. We...

Portulaca sclerocarpa (also known as ‘Ihi mākole) is a critically endangered small succulent plant in the purslane family (Portulacaceae). It only...

Continuing with the Volcano Awareness Month theme of people and their work at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, we move on to another role at HVO...

When I was seven years old, I won my county's earthquake safety poster contest. I remember going to a special award luncheon with the mayor, who...