Volcano Watch

When a major geologic event occurs, scientists who study such events and the people who are directly or indirectly impacted by it seek to understand...

In February 2019, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) released a preliminary map of lava flow thicknesses for Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower...

The end of Kīlauea's 2018 eruption this past September was accompanied by an enormous decrease in the amount of sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) emitted from...

A good field geologist is an opportunist. Never content with what outcrops are available, she jumps at the chance to see another one, hoping that it...

In February 1924, the surface of the lava lake at Halema‘uma‘u dropped rapidly and disappeared from view. Throughout March and April, the crater floor...

Early Wednesday morning, just before 1AM on March 13, houses in east Hawai`i began to shake. Without a doubt, it was an earthquake. To those who...

Eruption rate (how much lava comes out of the ground per unit time) is probably the best measure of volcanic activity, and the first step in that...

Since the end of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption on Kīlauea Volcano, questions have surfaced concerning how long it will take for the...

With the end of Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption, the Island of Hawai‘i was able, at long last, to say goodbye to strong vog...

Earthquakes in Hawaii are intimately related to the volcanoes. In addition to helping scientists track moving magma, sometimes they happen simply...

The 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption of Kīlauea brought an end to the 35+ year eruption at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. With the draining of the summit and the...

One of the most frequent questions asked of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists the last several months has been, “Is the lower East...

The field day begins with a summit weather check at first light. It is a reflective moment at 6:15 AM atop Kīlauea Volcano, and the fumarole cracks...

January 2019 marks the 10th annual “Volcano Awareness Month” on the Island of Hawai‘i.

One of the most frequently asked questions of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists over the last several months has been, “Is the...

This is, without a doubt, the most intellectually exciting time to be a volcanologist at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The current inactivity...

In this season of giving thanks, Island of Hawai‘i residents and visitors can be thankful for the return of good air quality, generally free of...

November 2018. Has it already been six months since lava began flowing through Hawai‘i County's lower Puna District? Has it only been three months...

The prolonged yet dramatic partial collapse of Kīlauea caldera this past summer was the first to be observed in detail and the largest measured by...

During Kīlauea Volcano's recent lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption, lava-flow maps were a staple of the public outreach effort by the USGS Hawaiian...