Images

This photograph shows the inside of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Multi-Gas site at Sulfur Cone. Currently, HVO has 2 of these continuous gas monitoring sites in operation on the Island of Hawai‘i. This one at Sulfur Cone high on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone, along with one at the summit of Kīlauea.

The continuously monitoring Multi-Gas instrument at Sulfur Cone is housed inside the black Pelican case shown here. Air is pulled into the instrument via a small pump to be analyzed for volcanic gases (Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor).

Map of Island of Hawaiʻi, highlighting the four active or potentially active volcanoes of the Island, the number of people living on each volcano based on 2020 census data, major roads (transportation corridors) and minor roads (proxy for population density), when each volcano last erupted, and each volcano’s national threat assessment designation.

HVO staff are conducting the annual Mauna Loa GPS campaign. During the survey, GPS instruments are deployed at established benchmarks so that their recorded positions can be compared with those from previous years to discern subtle patterns of ground deformation associated with volcanic activity.

A benchmark on Mauna Loa being surveyed by GPS campaign instruments. The metal disk on the ground beneath the tripod is the benchmark, which is cemented to the lava flow surface. USGS photo by A. Ellis.

GPS campaign equipment being staged prior to deployment on Mauna Loa for the annual survey. Temporary GPS receivers and antennas are placed on tripods centered over benchmarks, which serve as a reference point for centering of the antenna. The equipment is left in place to collect data for a couple of days at each site.

This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea from April 19 to May 5, 2024, as recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (AGI) Cosmo-SkyMED satellite. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation, with more fringes indicating more deformation.  Each color cycle represents 1.5 cm (0.6 in) of ground motion indicative of inflation as the magma reservoi

Aerial view of cone that the new MLDcam is located on, on the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. An HVO geologist and field engineer installing the camera are silhouetted on top of the cone against the cloudy backdrop.

Distribution of permanent seismic stations and previously deployed seismic nodes in southern half of the Island of Hawai‘i. Shaded regions display the total footprint that nodal deployments this spring and summer will occupy. 

An HVO physical science technician installs a new webcam near South Point, looking north to monitor any future activity on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

The new MSPwebcam can be remotely controlled at the observatory to zoom in on an area of interest on the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. This photo looks north and shows the upper portion of Ocean View Estates. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Plot showing the distance between two GPS stations on Mauna Loa from February 2022 to November 2023. Station MOKP is on the north side of Mokuʻāweoweo and station MLES is east of Mokuʻāweoweo. This plot shows how the distance between these two stations increased before the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption, indicating that the volcano was inflating.

Map showing the locations of earthquakes beneath Mauna Loa between October 31, 2023, and November 9, 2023. The earthquake colors indicate their depth. Most earthquakes have occurred at depths of 40–60 km (25–37 mi) beneath Mokuʻāweoweo, though some have occurred at shallower depths within 16 km (10 mi) of the ground surface. USGS map.

On November 8, 2023, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff visited the rim of Moku‘āweoweo (Mauna Loa's summit caldera) to service the MLcam and the MTcam. These cameras had been temporarily offline and not transmitting images.

A view of Moku‘āweoweo (Mauna Loa's summit caldera) from the rim on the northwest side. The lava flows that flooded much of the caldera floor during the brief summit phase of the 2022 eruption are nearly indistinguishable from previous lava flows.

Thumbnail image for Mauna Loa 2022 eruption anniversary video. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano and covers just over half of the Island of Hawaiʻi. It erupted most recently in November-December 2022, and it will erupt again.

An HVO gas scientist carrying portable gas sensor (yellow box) near Mauna Loa summit in June 2023. The white material on the ground in this photo is snow. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.

Another GPS survey benchmark being occupied on Mauna Loa. The metal disk on the ground beneath the tripod is the benchmark, which is cemented to the lava flow surface.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicists continue performing the annual GPS survey of Mauna Loa. Most Mauna Loa GPS campaign survey sites have been occupied every year since the early 1990s, whereas less active volcanoes Hualālai and Haleakalā are surveyed every 3–5 years.

The Vibroseis truck operating on Hilina Pali Road in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on May 26, 2023. Throughout the month of May, the truck was generating seismic signals that will help to provide a new detailed view of shallow subsurface structures and the magma system beneath Kīlauea volcano’s summit.

The Vibroseis truck operating on Hilina Pali Road in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on May 26, 2023. The vehicle belongs to the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) experimental facility at the University of Texas at Austin, which is supported with funding from the National Science Foundation.