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Volcano Hazard Program images.

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Digital Elevation Map of Mount St. Helens with annotation of pre-19...
Digital Elevation Map of Mount St. Helens with annotation of pre-19...
Digital Elevation Map of Mount St. Helens with annotation of pre-19...
Digital Elevation Map of Mount St. Helens with annotation of pre-19...

This shaded relief image was produced from LIDAR data. LIDAR is an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging, a modern remote sensing technique used to map topography very accurately—more so than is possible with older techniques. The crater is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) wide east-west. Elsewhere the scale varies owing to the oblique viewing angle.

This shaded relief image was produced from LIDAR data. LIDAR is an acronym for Light Detection and Ranging, a modern remote sensing technique used to map topography very accurately—more so than is possible with older techniques. The crater is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) wide east-west. Elsewhere the scale varies owing to the oblique viewing angle.

woman standing in front of mount st helens
Julia Griswold
Julia Griswold
Julia Griswold

Julia Griswold is a geologist with the USGS-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program.

Julia Griswold is a geologist with the USGS-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program.

Tabernacle Hill tuff cone, part of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic F...
Tabernacle Hill tuff cone, part of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field in Utah
Tabernacle Hill tuff cone, part of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field in Utah
Tabernacle Hill tuff cone, part of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field in Utah

Tabernacle Hill tuff cone, part of the Black Rock Desert Volcanic Field in Utah, used to house a lava lake in the center of the crater.

Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes: volcano tecto...
Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes
Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes
Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes

Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes: volcano tectonic (VT) Low Frequency (LF)/Deep Long-Period (DLP), hybrid (mix of VT and LF), very low frequency (VLF), and Tremor.

Seismogram signal examples from volcanic earthquakes: volcano tectonic (VT) Low Frequency (LF)/Deep Long-Period (DLP), hybrid (mix of VT and LF), very low frequency (VLF), and Tremor.

Map showing one-year probability of accumulation of 1 centimeter
Map showing one-year probability of accumulation of 1 centimeter
Map showing one-year probability of accumulation of 1 centimeter
Photo of Crater Lake with oblique bathymetric image of the caldera ...
Photo of Crater Lake with oblique bathymetric image of the caldera ...
Photo of Crater Lake with oblique bathymetric image of the caldera ...
Photo of Crater Lake with oblique bathymetric image of the caldera ...

Photo of Crater Lake with oblique bathymetric image of the caldera floor beneath the lake's surface. Oregon

Wes Hildreth at Long Valley Caldera...
Wes Hildreth at Long Valley Caldera
Wes Hildreth at Long Valley Caldera
Wes Hildreth at Long Valley Caldera

Wes Hildreth is an expert when it comes to studying the Long Valley Caldera. Here, he is standing on Tertiary basalt lava flows on the north rim of the caldera, view to the southeast with Lake Crowley visible in the center of the caldera, and McGee Mountain above the lake on the skyline.

Wes Hildreth is an expert when it comes to studying the Long Valley Caldera. Here, he is standing on Tertiary basalt lava flows on the north rim of the caldera, view to the southeast with Lake Crowley visible in the center of the caldera, and McGee Mountain above the lake on the skyline.

Photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs
Photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs
Photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs
Photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs

Top: Examples of some of the photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs in September 2013. Photos taken by Hank Heasler. Bottom: Hill-shade image calculated from the 2013 DEM over Mammoth Hot Springs and that was derived from a series of overlapping photos using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry.

Top: Examples of some of the photos taken from helicopter over Mammoth Hot Springs in September 2013. Photos taken by Hank Heasler. Bottom: Hill-shade image calculated from the 2013 DEM over Mammoth Hot Springs and that was derived from a series of overlapping photos using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry.

Resistivity Plot...
Resistivity Plot
Resistivity Plot
Resistivity Plot

Resistivity values for wet (average 7.8 Wt.% moisture content) compacted (lighter shades) and uncompacted (darker shades) fresh ash samples.

Resistivity values for wet (average 7.8 Wt.% moisture content) compacted (lighter shades) and uncompacted (darker shades) fresh ash samples.

Kahauale‘a 2 flow slowly moving through forest northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō...
Kahauale‘a 2 flow slowly moving through forest NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō
Kahauale‘a 2 flow slowly moving through forest NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō
Kahauale‘a 2 flow slowly moving through forest NE of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

The Kahauale‘a 2 flow continues to slowly move through the forest northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Today, the active flow front was 6.3 km (3.9 miles) northeast of the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is just left of the center of the photograph in the distance, partially obscured by the smoke.

The Kahauale‘a 2 flow continues to slowly move through the forest northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Today, the active flow front was 6.3 km (3.9 miles) northeast of the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is just left of the center of the photograph in the distance, partially obscured by the smoke.

A closer view of the active flows at the forest boundary, and the n...
active flows at the forest boundary, and the numerous plumes of smo...
active flows at the forest boundary, and the numerous plumes of smo...
active flows at the forest boundary, and the numerous plumes of smo...

A closer view of the active flows at the forest boundary, and the numerous plumes of smoke resulting from active lava igniting ‘oKAHAKOhi‘a trees and other vegetation.

A closer look at the summit lava lake. ...
summit lava lake.
summit lava lake.
summit lava lake.

A closer look at the summit lava lake.

Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u Crater remains active...
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active

The summit lava lake is contained within the Overlook crater, which is about 160 m (520 ft) by 210 m (690 ft) in size, and set within the larger Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The lava lake this week has been about 50 m (160 ft) below the rim of the Overlook crater.

The summit lava lake is contained within the Overlook crater, which is about 160 m (520 ft) by 210 m (690 ft) in size, and set within the larger Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The lava lake this week has been about 50 m (160 ft) below the rim of the Overlook crater.

Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u Crater remains active...
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active
Lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u remains active

The summit lava lake is contained within the Overlook crater, which is about 160 m (520 ft) by 210 m (690 ft) in size, and set within the larger Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The lava lake this week has been about 50 m (160 ft) below the rim of the Overlook crater.

The summit lava lake is contained within the Overlook crater, which is about 160 m (520 ft) by 210 m (690 ft) in size, and set within the larger Halema‘uma‘u Crater. The lava lake this week has been about 50 m (160 ft) below the rim of the Overlook crater.

A closer look at the summit lava lake. ...
summit lava lake.
summit lava lake.
summit lava lake.

A closer look at the summit lava lake.

January 2014—Hawai‘i Island's 5th annual Volcano Awareness Month...
Jan 2014—Hawai‘i Island's 5th annual Volcano Awareness Month
Jan 2014—Hawai‘i Island's 5th annual Volcano Awareness Month
Jan 2014—Hawai‘i Island's 5th annual Volcano Awareness Month

This fissure eruption on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone in March 2011 reminds us of how exciting it can be to live on or near active volcanoes, but also why we need to be aware of the hazards they pose.

This fissure eruption on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone in March 2011 reminds us of how exciting it can be to live on or near active volcanoes, but also why we need to be aware of the hazards they pose.

Landsat 8 satellite image of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō flow field...
Landsat 8 satellite image of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō flow field
Landsat 8 satellite image of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō flow field
Landsat 8 satellite image of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō flow field

This image was captured on Tuesday, December 10 by Landsat 8, a new NASA Earth-observing satellite that was launched in February of this year and entered service in May. The image shows the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow field on Kīlauea's east rift zone. Although this is a false-color image, the color map has been chosen to mimic what the human eye would expect to see.

This image was captured on Tuesday, December 10 by Landsat 8, a new NASA Earth-observing satellite that was launched in February of this year and entered service in May. The image shows the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flow field on Kīlauea's east rift zone. Although this is a false-color image, the color map has been chosen to mimic what the human eye would expect to see.

Pele's hair at Halema‘uma‘u...
Pele's hair at Halema‘uma‘u
Pele's hair at Halema‘uma‘u
Pele's hair at Halema‘uma‘u

Pele's hair (thin strands of volcanic glass drawn out from molten lava) is abundant around Halema`uma`u Crater (Kīlauea, Hawaii). It originates from the active, spattering lava lake and in some areas, makes a nearly continuous carpet, highlighted here in the afternoon sun.

Pele's hair (thin strands of volcanic glass drawn out from molten lava) is abundant around Halema`uma`u Crater (Kīlauea, Hawaii). It originates from the active, spattering lava lake and in some areas, makes a nearly continuous carpet, highlighted here in the afternoon sun.

This thermal image looks northeast from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how th...
This thermal image looks NE from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how the subsu...
This thermal image looks NE from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how the subsu...
This thermal image looks NE from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how the subsu...

This thermal image looks northeast from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how the subsurface lava tubes feeding the active breakouts on the Kahauale‘a 2 flow are clearly visible as lines of slightly higher temperatures on the surface.

This thermal image looks northeast from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and shows how the subsurface lava tubes feeding the active breakouts on the Kahauale‘a 2 flow are clearly visible as lines of slightly higher temperatures on the surface.

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