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Volcano Watch

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. 

Filter Total Items: 1680
Volcano Watch — The ghosts of holiday eruptions past

Volcano Watch — The ghosts of holiday eruptions past

Every year about this time, the HVO staff asks the question: Will the volcano behave over the holidays? Given the amount of volcanic and seismic...

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Volcano Watch — Day in the life of an earthquake analyst

Volcano Watch — Day in the life of an earthquake analyst

A "Volcano Watch" article several months ago provided an overview of the recently installed current earthquakes web pages at the Hawaiian Volcano...

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Volcano Watch — Tidal lunacy

Volcano Watch — Tidal lunacy

Everybody is familiar with ocean tides that cause the ocean level to go up and down, usually twice a day. We can go down to the beach and watch this...

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Volcano Watch — One island chain, several lines of volcanoes

Volcano Watch — One island chain, several lines of volcanoes

Most people know that volcanoes formed the Hawaiian island chain. Few realize, however, that the chain consists of two or more strands of volcanoes...

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Volcano Watch — Long-lived eruptions may contribute to local droughts

Volcano Watch — Long-lived eruptions may contribute to local droughts

Over the past several weeks, visitors to Kīlauea have been treated to views of spectacular surface lava flows cascading down the pali and a new ocean...

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Volcano Watch — What's up with Mauna Loa?

Volcano Watch — What's up with Mauna Loa?

Of the more than 30 eruptions of Mauna Loa in the last hundred years, the 1975 and 1984 eruptions are the first events for which we have detailed...

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Volcano Watch — Ground uplift in Oregon Cascades is tipoff to rising magma

Volcano Watch — Ground uplift in Oregon Cascades is tipoff to rising magma

Volcanologists have long known that when molten rock rises to within 2-10 km (1-6 miles) of the Earth's surface, the overlying ground is often pushed...

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Volcano Watch — Mauna Loa will not push Kīlauea into the ocean

Volcano Watch — Mauna Loa will not push Kīlauea into the ocean

"Volcano Watch" often responds to a question from an interested citizen. A resident of Makawao, Maui, asked about the stability of Kīlauea and whether...

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Volcano Watch — When lava tubes go incontinent

Volcano Watch — When lava tubes go incontinent

A few days before the long Labor Day weekend, Hawai'i County officials closed the newly opened Lava Viewing road because a surface lava flow was...

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Volcano Watch — How our capabilities have improved with time

Volcano Watch — How our capabilities have improved with time

Forty years ago, at 12:36 p.m. on September 21, a swarm of large, shallow earthquakes accompanied by strong harmonic tremor began to emanate from the...

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Volcano Watch — West Maui's rejuvenated-stage eruptions were about 600,000 and 385,000 years ago

Volcano Watch — West Maui's rejuvenated-stage eruptions were about 600,000 and 385,000 years ago

The four youngest vents on West Maui erupted between 610,000 and 385,000 years ago. These newly determined radiometric ages remind us that sporadic...

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Volcano Watch — Lava covers road: expectable as the eruption continues

Volcano Watch — Lava covers road: expectable as the eruption continues

Nothing is constant except change. On August 17 the Kalapana road was reopened, allowing visitors access to a short trail and fine view point...

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