Volcano Watch

The Chain of Craters marks the location of Kīlauea's upper east rift zone. The chain reaches southeastward from the summit caldera and then gradually...

You hear a low rumbling sound; the walls of your house shake a little; objects on the shelves skip around, maybe even fall off the shelf. Was that an...

Groups of students of all ages frequently visit the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory while they are on an excursion to Hawaii...

Geology is an inexact science, and sometimes studying volcanoes seems like a game of chance. This is particularly true for those who study the way...

In 1790 a group of Hawaiian warriors in the Ka`u Desert was killed by an eruption of hot gas and flying rocks that originated from Kīlauea caldera...

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is to monitor the volcanoes of Hawai`i, to study the geological...

Although the study of volcanoes is, in itself, fascinating and is more than a full-time job, volcanologists also work closely with researchers in...

In a recent national television program on tsunami, attention was focused on the Great Crack in the southwest rift zone of Kīlauea. The size of the...

When lava enters the sea, it begins a struggle to build new land. We name these entries for nearby geographic features—Lae`apuki, Kamoamoa, Kamokuna...

It has been more than 18 years since Mount St. Helens had its powerful eruption, almost 12 years since its latest quiet dome-building eruption, and 8...

Discussions of volcanic air pollution from Kīlauea frequently start out with a conversation about the large amount of sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) that...

This week marks the ninth anniversary since the last large (greater than 6 magnitude) earthquake on the island of Hawaii. At 5:27 p.m. on Saturday...

Four of us HVO lava junkies had the rare opportunity to witness a partial bench collapse on Monday evening, June 8. The collapse began at 7:40 p.m...

Billowing clouds of steam rising from two discrete locations along the Kamokuna-Waha`ula coastline are often the only reminders we have of Kīlauea...

The gravitational attraction of the Sun and the Moon produce the familiar ocean tides and the less familiar earth tides. Why are volcanologists...

Precisely 74 years ago today, the final chapter of one of Kīlauea's most alarming displays of volcanic power came to a close. Halema`uma`u, the fire...

The story is told of how Maui snared the sun, holding it hostage atop Haleakalā until he slowed its passage across the sky. One result of this slow...

The announcement last week that astronomers at Keck Observatory had looked back 12.3 billion years in time was astounding. When you think about it...

As April draws to a close, so ends Tsunami Awareness Month in the State of Hawai`i. Tsunami Awareness Month featured programs and events coordinated...

The eruption of 1942 was noteworthy for several reasons. (1) It was declared a secret so the press was not allowed to publicize the event. (2) This...