Volcano Watch

It started innocently enough. The long-lived lava lake disappeared from Halema`uma`u on February 21. Seventy-eight earthquakes were recorded in March...

Earth scientists know a lot about Mauna Loa above sea level but much less about it under water. Studies have naturally focused on the easily...

One common saying in the real estate business is that location is everything. This is particularly true from both geological and biological...

Kīlauea's summit magma chamber is connected to the rift-zone vents like a water tank linked by hose to an irrigation system. The hose comprises the...

Among the many tools earth scientists use, the measurement of gravity variations over the earth's surface is one of the most useful for studying...

Some readers will know that the largest eruption in the world during the 20th century took place in Alaska in 1912, producing the Valley of Ten...

This past week, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) hosted 68 Japan Broadcasting Company (NHK) personnel and associates...

Imagine this scene: the crew at the Hilo Fire Department receives a call telling them to stand by because an arsonist is setting a fire. If the blaze...

During the past couple of months, those of us living in east Hawai`i have experienced several episodes of poor air quality, owing to disruptions of...

Reggie and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory were inextricably associated for 34 years. I was privileged to be part of the relationship for much of...

One of the most striking aspects of a newly formed lava flow is its barren and sterile nature. The process of colonization of such flows by plants and...

Here's a quiz for all you volcano junkies: What's the second highest volcano in North America? Hint—it was named by the Aztecs and has been erupting...

Kīlauea has been erupting for more than 16 years. Is this an exceptionally long time for an eruption to last? The answer is yes, but there have...

Today is the 16th anniversary of the ongoing Pu`u `O`o-Kupaianaha eruption of Kīlauea Volcano. Lava has erupted from vents located on Kīlauea's east...

When you visit the coast to watch lava pour into the sea, do you ever wonder where the lava came from and what path it took to the surface? We earth...

Last week, four members of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory attended the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical...

At a recent public meeting, the State of Hawai`i outlined a proposal to locate a new, approximately 2,300-bed medium-security correctional facility 10...

Scientists have learned a lot about the on-land part of Kīlauea's east rift zone, but little is known about its underwater part, the Puna Ridge. A...

Hawai`i is one of the most extensively studied volcanic regions in the world. However, there is still very little known about the processes that take...

One of the most useful gadgets in the geologist's tool box is the ability to measure the age of a lava flow, an island, or even the earth itself.