Volcano Watch

Large and colorful flames sometimes play from vents on Kīlauea volcano. These flames, which range from yellowish orange to greenish blue and reach as...

The 1955 eruption in lower Puna, described in last week's column, was destructive. About 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres) were covered by 108 million...

Tomorrow, February 28, marks the 45th anniversary of the start of the 1955 eruption on Kīlauea's lower east rift zone. This was the first eruption of...

Annual rainfall totals on the windward slopes of Mauna Loa and Kīlauea average up to nearly 10 meters (300 inches), yet there are no perennial streams...

Haleakalā, the volcano that forms East Maui, had higher summit elevations in its glorious past. Today the volcano's highest point is 10,023 feet, but...

What is the longest eruption in memory at Kīlauea? The ongoing Pu`u `O`o-Kupaianaha eruption, which entered its 18th year on January 3? The nearly...

Gravy and Hostess cupcakes—both delicious in their own way, but not necessarily in combination. Although they are extremely different from each other...

Strolling the desolate Mo`omomi Beach of Moloka`i's north shore some 30 years ago, a woman came upon what appeared to be the remains of a turkey...

Geologists everywhere like to study rocks in the field, but few of them get to map rocks that are still molten and on the move. Here in Hawai`i, we...

This Thursday, January 13, marks the 40th anniversary of the Kapoho eruption, the sequel to the Kīlauea Iki eruption in November-December 1959. It was...

Tomorrow, January 3, marks the 17th anniversary of the ongoing Pu`u `O`o - Kupaianaha eruption. Some readers are too young to remember the eruption in...

The staff and associates of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Kīlauea Field Station extend a warm and cheerful holiday...

An employee of the Hilo Hawaiian hotel recently called the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and asked about the origin of Coconut...

Last week's heavy rains on the Big Island brought an end to one of the worst seasons for yellowjacket wasps around Mauna Loa in more than a decade.
 

The heavy rain that East Hawai`i experienced this week, particularly on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, suggested the topic for this week's...

The Saddle Road to Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) might seem noticeably more worn this month.

Here's a question for you trivia aficionados. Since written records began in 1823, what is the longest period of time without an eruption in Kīlauea's...

Kīlauea's south slope presents a spectacular drive by motorcar because the highway descends steeply to reach the coastal plain.

In 1916, Thomas Jaggar, renowned scientist and founder of HVO, wrote, in a foreword to "Hawaiian Legends of Volcanoes" by Westervelt, that "Everything...

Many visitors come to the summit of Kīlauea, take a quick look into the caldera, say, "Hmmm, that's nice," shrug their shoulders, and move on. All...