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Volcano Hazard Program images.

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Scientists looking into the bright glow of Mauna Loa's 1942 eruptiv...
Scientists looking into bright glow of Mauna Loa's 1942 eruptive ve...
Scientists looking into bright glow of Mauna Loa's 1942 eruptive ve...
Scientists looking into bright glow of Mauna Loa's 1942 eruptive ve...

Scientists looking into the bright glow of Mauna Loa's 1942 eruptive vent. Eruption occurred during WWII and was not publicized to prevent Japanese war planes from navigating to the island at night.

Earthquake damage on road at Kapoho, Hawai‘i. ...
Earthquake damage on road at Kapoho, Hawai‘i.
Earthquake damage on road at Kapoho, Hawai‘i.
Earthquake damage on road at Kapoho, Hawai‘i.

On April 22, an observer at the Kapoho railroad quarry counted 238 felt earthquakes over a period of four hours. By Sunday, April 27, things had calmed considerably at Kapoho, although a dozen shocks were felt during the day and half a dozen more overnight.

On April 22, an observer at the Kapoho railroad quarry counted 238 felt earthquakes over a period of four hours. By Sunday, April 27, things had calmed considerably at Kapoho, although a dozen shocks were felt during the day and half a dozen more overnight.

Railroad tracks buckled at fault boundary at Kapoho, Hawai‘i...
Railroad tracks buckled at fault boundary at Kapoho, Hawai‘i
Railroad tracks buckled at fault boundary at Kapoho, Hawai‘i
Railroad tracks buckled at fault boundary at Kapoho, Hawai‘i

These tracks were damaged by the vertical drop along the zone of cracks and faults that ran parallel to the east rift zone of Kīlauea Volcano. Witnesses reported that where the railroad entered the valley, the ties and rails were swinging like a suspension bridge for a distance of about 61 meters (200 feet).

These tracks were damaged by the vertical drop along the zone of cracks and faults that ran parallel to the east rift zone of Kīlauea Volcano. Witnesses reported that where the railroad entered the valley, the ties and rails were swinging like a suspension bridge for a distance of about 61 meters (200 feet).

Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during sei...
Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during sei...
Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during sei...
Kapoho, Hawai‘i residents in lower Puna await evacuation during sei...

By April 22, 1924, the incessant earthquakes caused many people to leave the district. When Hilo Tribune Herald reporter Jazz Belknap reached the Kapoho train station, he found a great crowd waiting for the autos that were hauling passengers out of the district.

By April 22, 1924, the incessant earthquakes caused many people to leave the district. When Hilo Tribune Herald reporter Jazz Belknap reached the Kapoho train station, he found a great crowd waiting for the autos that were hauling passengers out of the district.

Photograph of many steaming fumaroles on a broad plain surrounded by mountains
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai, Alaska, circa 1922
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai, Alaska, circa 1922
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Katmai, Alaska, circa 1922

Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Katmai National Park, circa 1922. Windy Creek is in the foreground. Following the June 6, 1912 eruption of Novarupta-Katmai, thousands of fumaroles filled the valley for many years. Buried snow fields, glacial streams, and precipitation were converted to steam by the heat trapped in the pyroclastic flow.

Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Katmai National Park, circa 1922. Windy Creek is in the foreground. Following the June 6, 1912 eruption of Novarupta-Katmai, thousands of fumaroles filled the valley for many years. Buried snow fields, glacial streams, and precipitation were converted to steam by the heat trapped in the pyroclastic flow.

Black and white photographs of lava lakes in crater
Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake on December 11, 1919
Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake on December 11, 1919
Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake on December 11, 1919

Panorama photos taken of Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake on December 11, 1919, showing the outer ring-shaped lake, the ring-shaped island of tilted crusts along the inner edge, and the central lava lake at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photos by T.A. Jaggar. 

Panorama photos taken of Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake on December 11, 1919, showing the outer ring-shaped lake, the ring-shaped island of tilted crusts along the inner edge, and the central lava lake at Kīlauea's summit. USGS photos by T.A. Jaggar. 

Black and white annotated photograph of collapse pit
View of the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu during the crater collapse of June 5, 1916, looking northeast from the south side of the crater
View of the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu during the crater collapse of June 5, 1916, looking northeast from the south side of the crater
View of the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu during the crater collapse of June 5, 1916, looking northeast from the south side of the crater

View of the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu during the crater collapse of June 5, 1916, looking northeast from the south side of the crater. The lava lake is visible at the lower left, and the outer crater walls are at the top. The crater rim is just out of frame to the top.

Black and white photograph of eruption plume
May 19, 1916 — Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone eruption
May 19, 1916 — Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone eruption
May 19, 1916 — Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone eruption

Image of the steam plume that accompanied the start of Mauna Loa’s 1916 eruption on the Southwest Rift Zone. View is from within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, with Kīlauea caldera wall visible in the middle of the photo. Photograph by H. Wood and courtesy of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Hamilton Library. 

Image of the steam plume that accompanied the start of Mauna Loa’s 1916 eruption on the Southwest Rift Zone. View is from within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, with Kīlauea caldera wall visible in the middle of the photo. Photograph by H. Wood and courtesy of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Hamilton Library. 

Image: Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Volcanic ash drifts around houses at Katmai after the June 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano. Church in the distant background. August 13, 1912.

Volcanic ash drifts around houses at Katmai after the June 1912 eruption of Novarupta Volcano. Church in the distant background. August 13, 1912.

A black-and-white stereograph photo pair shows a horse-drawn cart advancing toward the photographer on a muddy dirt road. In the middle ground, an early-20th century hotel is flanked by other small shops and a single telegraph pole. In the background, a double-peaked snow clad mountain rises high above the town, faded with distance.
Stereograph photo of Mount Shasta and the town of Sisson in 1906
Stereograph photo of Mount Shasta and the town of Sisson in 1906
Stereograph photo of Mount Shasta and the town of Sisson in 1906

Horse-drawn carriage on road in Sisson, California, El Monte Hotel in foreground, Mount Shasta in the background. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The origin of Nīnole Hills (location shown with orange oval, southe...
The origin of Nīnole Hills (location shown with orange oval, SEern ...
The origin of Nīnole Hills (location shown with orange oval, SEern ...
The origin of Nīnole Hills (location shown with orange oval, SEern ...

The older or original suggested location of this rift is shown with a blue dashed line. Black arrows show one possibility for the westward migration of the Nīnole Hills rift to the location of Mauna Loa's current Southwest Rift Zone (yellow dashed line). The South Kona Slump and ‘Ālika-1 and ‘Ālika-2 landslides are shown off the west coast of the island.

The older or original suggested location of this rift is shown with a blue dashed line. Black arrows show one possibility for the westward migration of the Nīnole Hills rift to the location of Mauna Loa's current Southwest Rift Zone (yellow dashed line). The South Kona Slump and ‘Ālika-1 and ‘Ālika-2 landslides are shown off the west coast of the island.

Landslides in the Western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, Washingt...
Landslides in the Western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, WA, Scie...
Landslides in the Western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, WA, Scie...
Landslides in the Western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, WA, Scie...

Recent light detection and ranging (lidar) imagery has allowed us to identify and map a large number of previously unrecognized landslides, or slides, in heavily forested terrain in the western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, Washington, and it has revealed that the few previously recognized areas of instability are actually composites of multiple smaller landslide

Recent light detection and ranging (lidar) imagery has allowed us to identify and map a large number of previously unrecognized landslides, or slides, in heavily forested terrain in the western Columbia Gorge, Skamania County, Washington, and it has revealed that the few previously recognized areas of instability are actually composites of multiple smaller landslide

Tom Sisson At Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field...
Tom Sisson At Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field
Tom Sisson At Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field
Tom Sisson At Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field

CalVO scientist Tom Sisson studies a lava flow in the Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field in Saudi Arabia for an international collaboration with the Saudi Geological Survey to conduct a seismic and volcanic hazard assessment for the volcanic field.

CalVO scientist Tom Sisson studies a lava flow in the Harrat Rahat Volcanic Field in Saudi Arabia for an international collaboration with the Saudi Geological Survey to conduct a seismic and volcanic hazard assessment for the volcanic field.

Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a numeric scale that measures t...
Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a numeric scale that measures t...
Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a numeric scale that measures t...
Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) is a numeric scale that measures t...

Volume of products, eruption cloud height, and qualitative observations (using terms ranging from "gentle" to "mega-colossal") are used to determine the explosivity value. The scale is open-ended with the largest volcanic eruptions in history (supereruptions) given magnitude 8.

Volume of products, eruption cloud height, and qualitative observations (using terms ranging from "gentle" to "mega-colossal") are used to determine the explosivity value. The scale is open-ended with the largest volcanic eruptions in history (supereruptions) given magnitude 8.

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