Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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: 1686
Volcano Watch — Aftershocks continue six months after Kiholo Bay earthquake

Volcano Watch — Aftershocks continue six months after Kiholo Bay earthquake

Last week marked the six-month anniversary of the October 15th Kiholo Bay and Mahukona earthquakes.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Gravity drives the world around us

Volcano Watch — Gravity drives the world around us

Anyone who has ever slipped on a banana peel knows all too well the force of gravity. A fundamental force of nature, gravity is the attraction of one...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Hey Booboo, Yellowstone Caldera Is No Cartoon Volcano!

Volcano Watch — Hey Booboo, Yellowstone Caldera Is No Cartoon Volcano!

Many island youngsters were first introduced to Yellowstone National Park through Yogi and Booboo bear, cartoon characters popular since their debut...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — HVO's role in the history of tsunami prediction in Hawaii?

Volcano Watch — HVO's role in the history of tsunami prediction in Hawaii?

April is Tsunami Awareness month, a reminder of Hawai`i’s most deadly tsunami, which killed 159 people on April 1, 1946. The tsunami was generated by...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Oceans on an acid trip are cause for concern

Volcano Watch — Oceans on an acid trip are cause for concern

As island residents, our lives are intimately intertwined with the ocean, in more ways than just having a good day at the beach. And, those of us who...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — "Slow" earthquake expected this week on the Big Island

Volcano Watch — "Slow" earthquake expected this week on the Big Island

After the jolting wake-up call of October 15, 2006, most of us in the islands gained first-hand experience with what a large earthquake feels like.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Wilkes Expedition Revisits Kīlauea

Volcano Watch — Wilkes Expedition Revisits Kīlauea

The U.S. Exploring Expedition returned to Kīlauea last week, in the form of a riveting "After Dark in the Park" program delivered by Herman Viola of...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — When Thunderstorms Get Down and Dirty

Volcano Watch — When Thunderstorms Get Down and Dirty

When we think about volcanology and meteorology, we usually put them in separate pigeonholes. At low emission rates, atmospheric pollutants produced...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — HVO's cat woman scratches her day job

Volcano Watch — HVO's cat woman scratches her day job

Extraordinary volcanic eruptions have a way of changing the lives of many people, including scientists and students who find themselves in the middle...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — A closer look at lava fountains

Volcano Watch — A closer look at lava fountains

Volcanology is an inexact science. At least, that is what we are always led to believe. Increased sophistication in measurement techniques however...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Volcano Scientists Go to School to Learn How to Track Volcanic Ash

Volcano Watch — Volcano Scientists Go to School to Learn How to Track Volcanic Ash

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Team are enrolled in a class to learn how to use radar to track volcanic ash clouds....

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Which produces more CO2, volcanic or human activity?

Volcano Watch — Which produces more CO2, volcanic or human activity?

People who are fortunate enough to live in or visit Hawai`i, or even those who have seen the right television documentaries know that the majestic...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Isaac Hale descendant has joined the staff at HVO

Volcano Watch — Isaac Hale descendant has joined the staff at HVO

Hawaiian tradition dictates that travelers chant their genealogies upon meeting to let everyone know where they came from, both literally and...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Submarine eruptions-the damp side of Hawaiian volcanism

Volcano Watch — Submarine eruptions-the damp side of Hawaiian volcanism

A few months ago, this column carried an account of a submarine eruption near Tonga in August that produced substantial rafts of pumice. As the pumice...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — The San Francisco Volcanic Field-Arizona's Hotspot

Volcano Watch — The San Francisco Volcanic Field-Arizona's Hotspot

A "hotspot" is not just a place where you can surf the Web. A hotspot is also a long-lasting place on the earth where an unusual amount of heat...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Hawai‘i earthquakes get a new manager

Volcano Watch — Hawai‘i earthquakes get a new manager

Seismologist Dave Wilson started work this week as the new manager of the HVO seismic monitoring network. He will take over the job vacated when...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — The Walls were Shaking, the Earth was Quaking

Volcano Watch — The Walls were Shaking, the Earth was Quaking

Everybody remembers the shaking.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Two erupting volcanoes cause most harm in 2006

Volcano Watch — Two erupting volcanoes cause most harm in 2006

The eruption of Kīlauea entered into its 24th year this past week.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō wraps up 24th year of eruption

Volcano Watch — Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō wraps up 24th year of eruption

January 3 will mark the 24th anniversary of Kīlauea's longest rift-zone eruption in the last 600 years, but some people still aren't impressed.

Read Article
Volcano Watch — HVO shares its research with the international scientific community

Volcano Watch — HVO shares its research with the international scientific community

Last week, six staff members of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) braved holiday travel and chilly rain to participate...

Read Article
Volcano Watch — Season's greetings to El Nino 2006-2007

Volcano Watch — Season's greetings to El Nino 2006-2007

As the season's holidays rapidly approach, many keiki (children) in the islands are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jolly Saint Nick. However, it is...

Read Article