Videos

Footage of a geologist taking a sample of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa the morning of December 1, 2022.

Aerial footage of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa captured the morning of December 1, 2022.

Aerial footage of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa captured the morning of December 1, 2022.

Video of fissure 3 on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone erupting during the morning of December 1, 2022. Fissure 3 continues to be the dominant of two erupting fissures on Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone.

Just a few days ago, Mauna Loa, the tallest active volcano on the planet, started erupting for the first time in 38 years.

This video, taken during an early morning overflight on 30 November 2022, shows fissure 3, the dominant source of activity. The lava fountains are 20-25 meters in height (65-82 feet) and are feeding a lava flow that is moving to the northeast at ~130 meters per hour (0.08 miles per hour).

The eruption on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa continues. This video shows the dominant fissure 3 remains active and is supplying lava to the flow advancing north. Taken on November 30, 2022.

An overflight on November 30, 2022, provided aerial views of the Northeast Rift Zone eruption of Mauna Loa. On the ground, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists deploy a new webcam and measure fissure 3. USGS video by K. Mulliken. 

This video was taken by HVO field crews on the morning of November 29, 2022, and shows lava fountaining from a fissure vent high on Mauna Loa's northeast rift zone. Fissure heights of 20-25 meters (65-82 feet) were recorded at the time of the video.

Video showing fissures erupting on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa the morning of November 29, 2022. Fountains at this area (fissure 3) were measured up to 25 m (82 ft) in height. 

Video showing fissures erupting on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa the morning of November 29, 2022. Fountains at this area (fissure 3) were measured up to 25 m (82 ft) in height. 

An ‘a‘ā lava flow on the northeast flank of Mauna Loa. This lava flow is several meters thick and moving to the northeast. 'A'ā flows have a rough rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinkers. The clinkery surface covers a massive dense core, which is the most active part of the flow.

This video shows one of the fissures active on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. At approximately 11 a.m. on November 29, 2022, the fountains at this location were at measured 35-40 meters (115-148 ft) in height.

The eruption on the Northeast Rift Zone of Mauna Loa Volcano continues. Today, the dominant fountain at fissure 3 was supplying lava to a flow advancing north of the rift zone.

Video showing thermal imagery from the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption which began around 11:30pm HST.

Lake Mead and the Mega Drought.

Image of the Week.

Drought over the past 20 years in the Colorado River Basin, and a growing demand for water, have brought Lake Mead to historically low levels.

In 1972, the year Landsat 1 captured its first images, Lake Mead’s elevation was 1,155 above sea level.

November is Native American Heritage Month. Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, talks about Indigenous peoples in the Yellowstone region and describes Yellowstone’s recent seismic, deformation, and geyser activity in this November 1, 2022 monthly update.

An overflight, at approximately 10 a.m., on October 28, 2022, provided aerial views of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater. Lava continues to erupt from the west vent area, supplying the lava pond in the western portion of Halema‘uma‘u.

An overflight at approximately 8:30 a.m. on October 28, 2022, provided aerial views of Mauna Loa Volcano, which is not erupting. This video contains several clips from the overflight, shown at 2X speed.

Blowing in the Wind 

Science to Help Understand and Help Reduce Wildlife Impacts from Wind Energy

by Manuela Huso 

USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center 

HVO volcanic gas specialists make sulfur dioxide (SO~2~) emission rate measurements downwind of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater, Kīlauea summit. This video shows the typical fieldwork involved with measuring SO2 emission rates, during which HVO scientists drive traverses beneath the plume in the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.