Ken Hon, Ph.D.
As the Scientist-in-Charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), I lead about 30 staff who help to ensure that HVO fulfills its mission to monitor the active volcanoes in Hawaii, assess their hazards, issue warnings, and advance scientific understanding to reduce impacts of volcanic eruption.
Science and Products
Insights from more than a year of ongoing episodic lava fountaining at Kilauea Insights from more than a year of ongoing episodic lava fountaining at Kilauea
Episodic lava fountaining is rare globally, with only three occurrences from Kīlauea (Hawaii) since 1823. Beginning in December 2024, an eruption within the summit crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, has produced 52 fountaining episodes to date, each lasting typically for hours and separated by days to weeks. Although multiple mechanisms have been proposed, fundamental questions remain about how magma...
Authors
Ashton F. Flinders, Natalia I. Deligne, Ken Hon, Drew T. Downs, Kendra J. Lynn, Patricia A. Nadeau, Katie Mulliken, Jefferson C. Chang, Peter J. Dotray, Marco Bagnardi, Ingrid A. Johanson, Michael H. Zoeller, Kyle R. Anderson, Matthew R. Patrick, Christoph Kern, Christine Ruth Sealing, Michael P. Poland, David Alan Phillips, Michael Cappos, Liliana G. Desmither, Andria P. Ellis, Steven Fuke, Pauline N. Fukunaga, Madeline Kaliko Hawk, Thomas-Jon Kekoa Hiroaki Hoomanawanui, John David Jamora, Albert Keliiaimoku Kamake'eaina, Kevan Kamibayashi, William Tollett, Kody Rubio, Seth Soren Swaney, S. Miki Warren, Heather Brianne Winslow, Ninfa Lucia Bennington, Arthur Jolly, R.G. Adams, M. Decker, L. Forster, Elisabeth Gallant, Cheryl Gansecki, Richard W. Hazlett, B.F. Houghton, N. Kohagura, S. Lundblad, N.G. Pasqualon, K. Poepoe, Hannah Kelsay Neuman, C. Cauley, K. Wilde
Seeing is believing: Livestream video monitoring of Hawaiian eruptions Seeing is believing: Livestream video monitoring of Hawaiian eruptions
Livestream video has become a crucial tool for volcano monitoring in recent years, building upon the use of webcam snapshots that have been common for the past two decades. In Hawaii, livestream video was first tested in 2018, and today, livestream video is a vital tool for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and partner agencies (National Park Service and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense) as...
Authors
Matthew R. Patrick, Ken Hon, William Tollett, Thomas-Jon Kekoa Hiroaki Hoomanawanui, Katie Mulliken, Tim R. Orr, Michael P. Poland, Kevan Kamibayashi, S. Miki Warren, Seth Swaney, Edward F. Younger, Albert Kamakeʻeaina, Steven Fuke, R. Lopaka Lee, Michael H. Zoeller, Scott R Horvath
Between quiescence and crisis: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory communication and response strategies on the Island of Hawaiʻi Between quiescence and crisis: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory communication and response strategies on the Island of Hawaiʻi
Over the past two centuries, eruptions of Mauna Loa volcano have damaged infrastructure and destroyed several communities on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Future eruptions will impact existing population centers and critical infrastructure, which continue to grow each year. The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has developed and practiced methods to promote eruption...
Authors
Katie Mulliken, Ken Hon, David Alan Phillips, Janet Babb, Frank A. Trusdell, Christina Neal, Michael H. Zoeller, Michael P. Poland, Wendy K. Stovall
Real-time lava flow forecasting during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption response Real-time lava flow forecasting during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption response
On November 27, 2022, Mauna Loa (Hawai‘i) erupted for the first time in 38 years, initially producing lava flows that covered the floor of its summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo. Over the first 12 h following the summit eruption, four main fissures opened on Mauna Loa’s Northeast Rift Zone, with “fissure 3” quickly becoming the dominant source of lava flows. For the next 12 days, fissure 3...
Authors
David M.R. Hyman, Hannah R. Dietterich, Elisabeth Gallant, Kendra J. Lynn, Michael H. Zoeller, Matthew R. Patrick, Jim Kauahikaua, Frank Trusdell, Ken Hon, Roger P. Denlinger, N. Leon Foks, R. Lopaka Lee, Jeff T. Falgout, Janice M. Gordon
Inflation rates, rifts, and bands in a pāhoehoe sheet flow Inflation rates, rifts, and bands in a pāhoehoe sheet flow
The margins of sheet flows—pāhoehoe lavas emplaced on surfaces sloping
Authors
Richard P. Hoblitt, Tim R. Orr, Christina Heliker, Roger Denlinger, Ken Hon, Peter F. Cervelli
Science and Products
Insights from more than a year of ongoing episodic lava fountaining at Kilauea Insights from more than a year of ongoing episodic lava fountaining at Kilauea
Episodic lava fountaining is rare globally, with only three occurrences from Kīlauea (Hawaii) since 1823. Beginning in December 2024, an eruption within the summit crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, has produced 52 fountaining episodes to date, each lasting typically for hours and separated by days to weeks. Although multiple mechanisms have been proposed, fundamental questions remain about how magma...
Authors
Ashton F. Flinders, Natalia I. Deligne, Ken Hon, Drew T. Downs, Kendra J. Lynn, Patricia A. Nadeau, Katie Mulliken, Jefferson C. Chang, Peter J. Dotray, Marco Bagnardi, Ingrid A. Johanson, Michael H. Zoeller, Kyle R. Anderson, Matthew R. Patrick, Christoph Kern, Christine Ruth Sealing, Michael P. Poland, David Alan Phillips, Michael Cappos, Liliana G. Desmither, Andria P. Ellis, Steven Fuke, Pauline N. Fukunaga, Madeline Kaliko Hawk, Thomas-Jon Kekoa Hiroaki Hoomanawanui, John David Jamora, Albert Keliiaimoku Kamake'eaina, Kevan Kamibayashi, William Tollett, Kody Rubio, Seth Soren Swaney, S. Miki Warren, Heather Brianne Winslow, Ninfa Lucia Bennington, Arthur Jolly, R.G. Adams, M. Decker, L. Forster, Elisabeth Gallant, Cheryl Gansecki, Richard W. Hazlett, B.F. Houghton, N. Kohagura, S. Lundblad, N.G. Pasqualon, K. Poepoe, Hannah Kelsay Neuman, C. Cauley, K. Wilde
Seeing is believing: Livestream video monitoring of Hawaiian eruptions Seeing is believing: Livestream video monitoring of Hawaiian eruptions
Livestream video has become a crucial tool for volcano monitoring in recent years, building upon the use of webcam snapshots that have been common for the past two decades. In Hawaii, livestream video was first tested in 2018, and today, livestream video is a vital tool for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and partner agencies (National Park Service and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense) as...
Authors
Matthew R. Patrick, Ken Hon, William Tollett, Thomas-Jon Kekoa Hiroaki Hoomanawanui, Katie Mulliken, Tim R. Orr, Michael P. Poland, Kevan Kamibayashi, S. Miki Warren, Seth Swaney, Edward F. Younger, Albert Kamakeʻeaina, Steven Fuke, R. Lopaka Lee, Michael H. Zoeller, Scott R Horvath
Between quiescence and crisis: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory communication and response strategies on the Island of Hawaiʻi Between quiescence and crisis: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory communication and response strategies on the Island of Hawaiʻi
Over the past two centuries, eruptions of Mauna Loa volcano have damaged infrastructure and destroyed several communities on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Future eruptions will impact existing population centers and critical infrastructure, which continue to grow each year. The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has developed and practiced methods to promote eruption...
Authors
Katie Mulliken, Ken Hon, David Alan Phillips, Janet Babb, Frank A. Trusdell, Christina Neal, Michael H. Zoeller, Michael P. Poland, Wendy K. Stovall
Real-time lava flow forecasting during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption response Real-time lava flow forecasting during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption response
On November 27, 2022, Mauna Loa (Hawai‘i) erupted for the first time in 38 years, initially producing lava flows that covered the floor of its summit caldera, Moku‘āweoweo. Over the first 12 h following the summit eruption, four main fissures opened on Mauna Loa’s Northeast Rift Zone, with “fissure 3” quickly becoming the dominant source of lava flows. For the next 12 days, fissure 3...
Authors
David M.R. Hyman, Hannah R. Dietterich, Elisabeth Gallant, Kendra J. Lynn, Michael H. Zoeller, Matthew R. Patrick, Jim Kauahikaua, Frank Trusdell, Ken Hon, Roger P. Denlinger, N. Leon Foks, R. Lopaka Lee, Jeff T. Falgout, Janice M. Gordon
Inflation rates, rifts, and bands in a pāhoehoe sheet flow Inflation rates, rifts, and bands in a pāhoehoe sheet flow
The margins of sheet flows—pāhoehoe lavas emplaced on surfaces sloping
Authors
Richard P. Hoblitt, Tim R. Orr, Christina Heliker, Roger Denlinger, Ken Hon, Peter F. Cervelli