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Volcano Watch

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. 

Filter Total Items: 1765
Volcano Watch — When ash flows like a fluid

Volcano Watch — When ash flows like a fluid

In response to the reawakening of Anatahan Volcano on May 10, seismologists installed a seismometer on the island on May 20. They returned on June 6...

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Volcano Watch — Cities on Volcanoes 3-an international conference with evening programs for the public

Volcano Watch — Cities on Volcanoes 3-an international conference with evening programs for the public

Many volcanoes are attractive places to live. Good soil, sweeping views, rugged beauty-all these features lure us to volcanic settings. Auckland and...

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Volcano Watch — Cooperative training by University of Hawai`i and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Volcano Watch — Cooperative training by University of Hawai`i and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

This week the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is cooperating with the University of Hawai`i to conduct a workshop in volcanology for graduate students...

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Volcano Watch — The Anatahan eruption: what might happen down the road

Volcano Watch — The Anatahan eruption: what might happen down the road

The eruption of Anatahan Volcano in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) continues. It has generated much interest in the...

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Volcano Watch — Impermeable beds trap rain and snow at Mauna Kea's Lake Waiau

Volcano Watch — Impermeable beds trap rain and snow at Mauna Kea's Lake Waiau

Lake Waiau, at an altitude of 3,969 m (13,020 ft) atop Mauna Kea, is the only alpine lake in the Hawaiian island chain. It is thought to have formed...

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Volcano Watch — Carbon dioxide in Kīlauea's tiny bubbles makes the champagne's punch

Volcano Watch — Carbon dioxide in Kīlauea's tiny bubbles makes the champagne's punch

For the past couple of weeks, Kīlauea had presented us with a flurry of tiny earthquakes located at a shallow depth beneath the volcano's summit. The...

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Volcano Watch — Two eruptions bordering the Pacific plate: one huge, one small but ongoing

Volcano Watch — Two eruptions bordering the Pacific plate: one huge, one small but ongoing

This week is the 91st anniversary of the largest eruption on earth since Krakatau exploded in 1883. We are also ending the 4th week of an ongoing...

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Volcano Watch — Kīlauea and Masaya celebrate secrets of "sisterhood"

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea and Masaya celebrate secrets of "sisterhood"

Many of us are aware of the "sister city" program, in which two cities form a relationship to promote understanding, cultural and educational exchange...

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Volcano Watch — Mixing Magmas at Krakatau

Volcano Watch — Mixing Magmas at Krakatau

Throughout the early morning of August 27th, 1883 and into the late afternoon, the inhabitants of Rodriguez Island—a small speck of land in the...

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Volcano Watch — First Historical Eruption of Anatahan Volcano, Northern Mariana Islands

Volcano Watch — First Historical Eruption of Anatahan Volcano, Northern Mariana Islands

For the past week, a billowing column of dark volcanic ash has been erupting from Anatahan Volcano in the Northern Mariana Islands, burying parts of...

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Volcano Watch — Lava Inundation Zones Identified for Mauna Loa

Volcano Watch — Lava Inundation Zones Identified for Mauna Loa

The primary goal of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiʻian Volcano Observatory is to provide scientific information that can be used to reduce risks...

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Volcano Watch — 30th earthquake and accelerogram anniversary

Volcano Watch — 30th earthquake and accelerogram anniversary

April 26, 2003, marks the 30th anniversary of the magnitude M6.2 Honomu earthquake. This earthquake occurred at 10:26 a. m. and was centered north of...

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Volcano Watch — World's Coolest Lava is in Africa

Volcano Watch — World's Coolest Lava is in Africa

People like to hear about record-holders-the biggest, fastest, best. That's why we're frequently asked, "What's the world's most active volcano? Is it...

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Volcano Watch — Once a big island, Maui County now four small islands

Volcano Watch — Once a big island, Maui County now four small islands

The four islands of Maui, Moloka`i, Lana`i, and Kaho`olawe were once all connected as a vast landmass known as Maui Nui, literally "big Maui." This...

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Volcano Watch — Measuring ground movements in the Koa`e fault system

Volcano Watch — Measuring ground movements in the Koa`e fault system

Kilauea has one of the most active fault systems in the world. The Koa`e fault system is 2-3 km (1.2-1.8 miles) wide and extends about 17 km (10 miles...

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Volcano Watch — April is tsunami awareness month throughout Hawai`i

Volcano Watch — April is tsunami awareness month throughout Hawai`i

About this time every year, we have an article or two on the topic of tsunami. The month of April is observed as "Tsunami Awareness Month" in Hawai`i...

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Volcano Watch — Why are Mount St. Helens' eruptions generally more explosive than those of Kīlauea?

Volcano Watch — Why are Mount St. Helens' eruptions generally more explosive than those of Kīlauea?

Residents of the Big Island have been living with the nearly continuous eruption of Kīlauea for a bit over 20 years. They have become familiar with...

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Volcano Watch — Viewing Hawai`i's lava safely - a reminder

Volcano Watch — Viewing Hawai`i's lava safely - a reminder

The recent serious injury incurred by a visitor to the Mother's Day lava flow field prompted this article. Shortly after midnight on March 10, a...

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Volcano Watch — Two eruptions at Kīlauea's summit in 1982 end an era

Volcano Watch — Two eruptions at Kīlauea's summit in 1982 end an era

The summit of Kīlauea has been quiet for more than 20 years. Pu`u `O`o and Kupaianaha have hogged the limelight since January 3, 1983. Two eruptions...

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Volcano Watch — Collecting Data on Earthquake Effects

Volcano Watch — Collecting Data on Earthquake Effects

One morning, you're awakened by a violent shaking of your bed; you hear the glass jalousies rattle, and the dog barks hysterically. In the seconds it...

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Volcano Watch — Active lava flows and new ocean entry provide prime viewing opportunities

Volcano Watch — Active lava flows and new ocean entry provide prime viewing opportunities

The past ten days have seen lava cross the Chain of Craters Road to form a new lava entry at the ocean's edge. Wildfires of the Panau Iki blaze...

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