Volcano Watch

On the Island of Hawai‘i, lichens are important colonists of young lava flows, particularly ‘a‘ā lava.

Two years ago, Kīlauea Volcano's "June 27th" flow advanced to the northeast, threatening Pāhoa and creating major disruptions to thousands of...

Readers of Volcano Watch might recall past articles that have described various ways in which the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) studies and...

The engagement of written history and geology, two ordinarily separated academic disciplines, has—once more—proven unexpectedly fruitful in our...

Early on the morning of May 24, 2016, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists were alerted by text message that a tiltmeter on the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone...

During the past 148 years, Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone eruptions have sent massive lava flows across Hawai‘i Island's main road six times: in 1868...

Island of Hawai‘i residents, especially those living in South Kona and Ka‘ū Districts, which are at particular risk from Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift...

Mosquitoes have been on the minds of Hawai‘i Island residents and visitors due to the recent outbreak of dengue fever. On February 12, 2016, Hawaii...

Mauna Loa's renewed activity, especially the recent earthquake and deformation changes, has HVO scientists polishing old keys while developing new...

Photography continues to be a powerful tool for HVO geologists trying to tease out details of old and new eruptions at Kīlauea and other Hawaiian...

Kīlauea is an explosive volcano that will, almost certainly, explode again.

This past week was Darryl Oliveira's last as the Administrator of Hawai‘i County CD, a position he has held since early 2013. He retires effective May...

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Geologic Map of the Island of Hawaii, known affectionately to local volcanologists as the BIMP (Big Island...

Each year, Hawai‘i County residents likely feel dozens of earthquakes. They might readily agree that earthquakes are indeed part of living on the...

Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on Earth, is not erupting, but is stirring. Seismicity remains elevated above long-term background levels, and...

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is excited to welcome geophysicist Brian Shiro to its team!

In previous Volcano Watch articles, we addressed the origin of the Nīnole Hills on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa. These hills are a prominent...

The first few months of 2016 have brought a range of wind and weather conditions to the Island of Hawai‘i.

The ongoing eruption at Kīlauea Volcano's summit began on March 19, 2008. Since that time, Island of Hawai‘i residents have had to cope with the...

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Don Swanson was recently named as the recipient of two prestigious awards.