Volcano Watch

Lava flows from the ongoing eruption of Kīlauea Volcano have traveled only short distances during the past week from the impressive open lava channel...

Pumice is glassy volcanic ejecta so full of bubbles that it floats in water. Reticulite is an extreme form of pumice in which all bubbles have burst...

For the past six weeks, lava erupting from a fissure east of Pu`u `O`o has been flowing on the surface through an open channel and feeding a series of...

On an active volcano like Kīlauea, it's easy to point to the youngest volcanic features. Although the specific lava flow or vent may change daily, its...

Early Wednesday morning, as most island residents slept peacefully in the knowledge that we were to be spared by hurricane Flossie, some of us were...

Staff members at the U.S. Geological Survey's volcano observatories frequently receive requests for career guidance from aspiring volcanologists...

If you've been keeping up with the on-line eruption updates from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, then you know that there's something peculiar that...

A stroll through any local health food store will reveal dozens of vitamin and mineral supplements lining the shelves. An alert shopper perusing...

For the Harry Potter fans of the world, the stroke of midnight on July 21 was a momentous event. The final episode of J.K. Rowling's tale centered on...

Volcano watchers, like recent movie-goers, are enjoying another summer sequel. Amidst new renditions of popular flicks like Spiderman, Pirates, Harry...

Many people are watching the filling of Pu`u `O`o crater live via a webcam on the rim. Since July 4, traffic to our web site has quadrupled, and we...

The answer to the question asked by Hawai`i's residents and volcano enthusiasts since June 19—where is Kīlauea going to erupt next—is clear, now that...

Last week's Volcano Watch described HVO's most recent and exciting challenge: to figure out what might happen next with Kīlauea's marked change in...

The rift zones of Hawaiian volcanoes are long strips 1-2 miles wide in which eruptions can occur. They radiate from the volcanic summits, where...

One of the most fascinating things about living on, or visiting, the Big Island is our proximity to active volcanoes and the wide variety of...

In the mid-19th century, Kona chief Kanuha told French explorer Jules Remy the story of Keli`ikuku, an ancient high chief of Puna.

A few weeks ago, each of the local newspapers carried a story about a study, released in the journal Science, predicting that the next Mauna Loa...

A new geologic map of the State of Hawai`i became publicly available this week. The publication is free online as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File...

Several Volcano Watch articles during the past few years described Kīlauea's explosive eruptions, their surprising frequency, and the large size of...

A new report released two weeks ago by U.S. Geological Survey scientists evaluated 169 volcanoes in the United States that could erupt again and pose...