Volcano Watch

Sometimes you just don't know what you're going to find, and when you do find it, you're not quite sure what it is.

Along with the rest of the world, we at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory continue to follow the aftermath of the great...

With great sorrow and shock, the world is bearing witness to the horrendous effects of the earthquake and tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean...

Several recent Volcano Watch articles have discussed the difficult nature of making specific eruption predictions about Mauna Loa, the largest volcano...

Recently, an important volcanological meeting of minds took place in Pucon, Chile. It was the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry...

In early December every year, thousands of earth scientists gather in San Francisco to present and discuss their latest findings. This meeting is...

As winter solstice draws near, the seasonal tradition of illuminating this darkest time of year becomes more obvious. Already many homes, shops, and...

What's in a name? In geology, plenty. Some of the biggest controversies erupt over terminology. For example, HVO scientists like to argue over terms...

While breakouts in the coastal area below Pu`u `O`o, attract renewed attention from scientists and visitors alike, seismologists at the U.S...

Scientists have all sorts of ways to remotely monitor volcanoes. Here at Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory, for example, we use seismometers, GPS...

Lava erupting from the Pu`u `O`o vent is again spilling into the sea and adding new land along Kīlauea's shoreline to the delight of red-rock junkies...

Thomas Jaggar, the first director of the Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory, from 1912-1940, probably never imagined that the gas compositions he measured...

As we await the next eruption of Mauna Loa, some HVO scientists have been looking at old eruption records which enable us to see trends that could...

The Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory website (hvo.wr.usgs.gov) gets over half-a-million visitors a month. Most of those hits are folks checking out the...

In the last few days, two scientists stationed at the Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory (HVO) have packed their bags and headed for Mount St. Helens...

As most readers probably know, Mount St. Helens has reawakened after 18 years of repose. Here are some of the many questions HVO has received in the...

Jim Kauahikaua has been named the new Scientist-in-Charge (SIC) of the Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory, starting October 3. Jim is currently a...

Mauna Loa's recent indigestion has attracted a lot of attention, stealing the limelight from Kīlauea, which has been in nearly continuous eruption for...

The sight of stately Mauna Loa rising over 3,960 m (13,000 feet) above sea level is a familiar and welcome view to Hawai`i Island residents and...

We have a number of ways to monitor a volcano, each tuned to different sets of measurements or observations and telling us different things that we...