Volcano Watch

Native Hawaiian oral traditions record a rich history of the changing volcanic landscape in Hawaiʻi. Interweaving cultural knowledge with scientific...

Geologic mapping has been one of the most fundamental mandates of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since its establishment in 1879. Congress created...

Over the past century, technological advancements have vastly improved volcano monitoring. One key innovation was the introduction of modern borehole...

The recent eruption at Nāpau Crater was the first on Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone (ERZ) in six years. We often remember the Pu‘u‘ō‘ō and Maunaulu...

The intense seismicity and ground deformation along the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea in the past couple of months is interpreted to indicate intrusion of...

In Hawaii, earthquakes are a common occurrence, and we should always practice earthquake preparedness. Millions of people around the world practice...

Topographic mapping has been a key component of volcano monitoring for decades, helping scientists to study morphologic changes and predict the paths...

Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world with eruptions common both at its summit caldera and within its two rift zones. Frequent...

A new Kīlauea eruption began in a remote area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Sunday, September 15, 2024. This is the first eruption on Kīlauea...

Since July 2024 activity, at Kīlauea has been punctuated by two periods of intense unrest, centered on the upper East Rift Zone (ERZ). The periods...

Photography has been a crucial part of volcano monitoring in Hawaii going back to the start of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). In 1911...

Last month, the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano...

The Island of Hawaiʻi is one of the most seismically active areas in the world, producing thousands of earthquakes every year.  It also commonly...

The Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES) is celebrating its 30th anniversary of growing the next generation of aloha ʻāina...

Remember when a little puddle of green water was spotted in Halemaʻumaʻu? Time flies, because that was late July 2019—over five years ago! And because...

"Time to go"… words that none of us at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) wanted to hear.

The upper East Rift Zone (UERZ) of Kīlauea has been shaking more than normal, with nearly 1,500 earthquakes between July 22 and 25. The activity is...

Measurement of volcanic gases is critical for both public safety and understanding volcanic activity—and everything we measure relies on the wind.

Island of Hawaiʻi residents are used to feeling the ground shake beneath them. From subtle shakes that feel like wind, to abrupt jolting that knocks...

The upper East Rift Zone (UERZ) of Kīlauea was a shaky place this past weekend. This region extends southeast from Kaluapele (Kīlauea’s summit caldera...