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Daily updates about ongoing eruptions, recent images and videos of summit and East Rift Zone volcanic activity, maps, and data about recent earthquakes in Hawaii are posted on the HVO website. 

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

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Volcano Watch — Volcanoes are not responsible for Global Warming

Volcano Watch — Volcanoes are not responsible for Global Warming

In this age of the Internet, anyone's opinion on any subject, whether thoroughly researched or derived from an Ouija board, can be broadcast to the...

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Volcano Watch — Kīlauea went ballistic in 1790

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea went ballistic in 1790

Many visitors to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park stop at Kīlauea Overlook and walk to the rim of the caldera, passing a huge rock along the way. 

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Volcano Watch — How well do you know the volcanoes in your backyard?

Volcano Watch — How well do you know the volcanoes in your backyard?

We often hear the term "IQ" (intelligence quotient)—but how would you rate your "VAQ" (volcano awareness quotient)? In other words, how well do you...

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Volcano Watch — Halema‘uma‘u Eruption Focus of Special Scientific Session

Volcano Watch — Halema‘uma‘u Eruption Focus of Special Scientific Session

In a few short weeks, scientists from the U. S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will be packing their bags and heading to San...

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Volcano Watch — For volcanoes, acting locally causes effects globally

Volcano Watch — For volcanoes, acting locally causes effects globally

A visit to Kīlauea can bring a sense of awe and appreciation for the earth's volcanoes. Over the past weeks, the east rift eruption has produced...

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Volcano Watch — Can We Forecast the Behavior in Halema‘uma‘u's Vent?

Volcano Watch — Can We Forecast the Behavior in Halema‘uma‘u's Vent?

If you have followed the HVO daily updates or tuned in to the Webcams over the past few months, you have probably seen that activity in the vent of...

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Volcano Watch — Evolving Lava Tube System Spawns Surface Flows that Reach the Ocean

Volcano Watch — Evolving Lava Tube System Spawns Surface Flows that Reach the Ocean

Dozens of small lava flows have moved down the pali and across the coastal plain of Kīlauea's south flank in the past several weeks as the nearly two...

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Volcano Watch — Lessons Learned from the Armero, Colombia Tragedy

Volcano Watch — Lessons Learned from the Armero, Colombia Tragedy

Late in the evening on November 13, 1985, most of those living in the Colombian town of Armero, on the shores of the river Lagunillas, were in bed...

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Volcano Watch — The Layered Earth Turns 100 Years Old

Volcano Watch — The Layered Earth Turns 100 Years Old

On October 8, 1909, an earthquake struck southeast of Zagreb, Croatia. Prior to this event, a number of seismographs had been installed in the region...

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Volcano Watch — One Man's Soil Is Another Man's Ash, Especially Around Pāhala

Volcano Watch — One Man's Soil Is Another Man's Ash, Especially Around Pāhala

"Pahala Ash," named for the town of Pahala, refers to soil deposits along the southeast portion of the island of Hawai`i. Pahala Ash was described by...

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Volcano Watch — Kīlauea's Emissions and Their Effects: It's All about Location

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea's Emissions and Their Effects: It's All about Location

A common saying in the real estate business is that three things matter regarding property: "location, location, location." The same might be said...

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Volcano Watch — Hualālai is Third Most Active Volcano in Hawai`i

Volcano Watch — Hualālai is Third Most Active Volcano in Hawai`i

The West Hawai`i Today issue for September 11, 2009, contained a letter to the editor titled "Hualālai is a real and present threat." The writer's...

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