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Volcano Hazards Program

Find U.S. Volcano

There are about 170 potentially active volcanoes in the U.S. The mission of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program is to enhance public safety and minimize social and economic disruption from volcanic unrest and eruption through our National Volcano Early Warning System. We deliver forecasts, warnings, and information about volcano hazards based on a scientific understanding of volcanic behavior.

News

Volcano Watch — Twenty episodes and counting: lava fountains continue in Halemaʻumaʻu

Volcano Watch — Twenty episodes and counting: lava fountains continue in Halemaʻumaʻu

Volcano Watch — Hoʻomākaukau means preparedness

Volcano Watch — Hoʻomākaukau means preparedness

Volcano Watch — Tilt, Tremor, and Lava: Remembering Mauna Loa’s 2022 Eruption Onset

Volcano Watch — Tilt, Tremor, and Lava: Remembering Mauna Loa’s 2022 Eruption Onset

Publications

Using the D-Claw software package to model lahars in the Middle Fork Nooksack River drainage and beyond, Mount Baker, Washington

Lahars, or volcanic mudflows, are the most hazardous eruption-related phenomena that will affect communities living along rivers that originate on Mount Baker. In the past 15,000 years, the largest lahars from Mount Baker have affected the Middle Fork Nooksack River drainage and beyond. Here we use the physics-based D-Claw software package to model nine lahar scenarios that are initiated...
Authors
Cynthia A. Gardner, Mary Catherine Benage, Charles M. Cannon, David L. George

Rhenium-osmium and oxygen isotope homogeneity during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption and implications for basaltic magma storage

Mauna Loa is one of the largest and most active volcanoes on Earth. The most recent eruption of Mauna Loa started on 27 November 2022, lasted for 13 days, and was preceded by the longest repose time of 38 years in its modern history. In this contribution, new trace- and highly siderophile-element (HSE: Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, Re) abundances, 187Re-187Os, and 18O/16O data are reported for the...
Authors
Emily A. Rhoads, Anton Kutyrev, Ilya N. Bindeman, Kendra J. Lynn, Frank A. Trusdell, Drew T. Downs, Hunter R. Edwards, Geoffrey W. Cook, James M.D. Day

Utility of a swath laser rangefinder for characterizing mass movement flow depth and landslide initiation

Mass movements such as debris flows and landslides are some of the deadliest and most destructive natural hazards occurring mostly in alpine and volcanic settings. With ever-growing populations located downslope from known debris flow channels, early warning systems can help prevent loss of life. Geophysical and technological advances have improved monitoring and detection capabilities...
Authors
Maciej Obryk, Emily Christina Bedinger, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Emily H Bryant, Kate E. Allstadt, David L. George, Benjamin B. Mirus
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