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Volcano Hazards Program

Find U.S. Volcano

There are about 170 potentially active volcanoes in the U.S. The mission of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program is to enhance public safety and minimize social and economic disruption from volcanic unrest and eruption through our National Volcano Early Warning System. We deliver forecasts, warnings, and information about volcano hazards based on a scientific understanding of volcanic behavior.

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Volcano Activity Notifications

Ash-rich plume rises out of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, Kilauea Volcano Hawaiʻi

USGS Volcano Observatories release regular updates and notifications to communicate increases or decreases in volcanic activity and explain unusual or hazardous circumstances. 

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Volcano Hazards Assessments

Mount Rainier seen from Puyallup, Washington

Long-term hazards assessments identify locations at risk from volcanic hazards. They are released as high-resolution hazards-zonation maps with accompanying explanations, which help guide eruption preparedness plans.

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U.S. Volcano Observatories

Volcano Observatory staff monitor, research, and issue formal notices of activity for volcanoes in assigned geographic areas. Scientists also assess volcano hazards and work with communities to prepare for volcanic eruptions.

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News

Volcano Watch — Aʻo pū mākou: We learn together with PIPES

Volcano Watch — Aʻo pū mākou: We learn together with PIPES

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea’s 2019–2020 lake: recalling the watery intermission between eruptions

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea’s 2019–2020 lake: recalling the watery intermission between eruptions

Volcano Watch — HVO bids farewell to its Uēkahuna location

Volcano Watch — HVO bids farewell to its Uēkahuna location

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Publications

Reference 1D seismic velocity models for volcano monitoring and imaging: Methods, models, and applications

Seismic velocity models of the crust are an integral part of earthquake monitoring systems at volcanoes. 1D models that vary only in depth are typically used for real‐time hypocenter determination and serve as critical reference models for detailed 3D imaging studies and geomechanical modeling. Such models are usually computed using seismic tomographic methods that rely on P‐ and S‐wave arrival‐ti
Authors
Jeremy D. Pesicek, Trond Ryberg
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center

Volcanoes of American Samoa

Upu Amata (Introduction)O le Atu-Samoa o le tasi lenei o faʻasologa motu mauga mu i le Vasa Pasefika i Saute. O motu e pito i sasaʻe o nei faʻasologa mauga mu o le Atu-Samoa, o motu ia o Amerika Samoa. E tofu lava mauga mu taʻitasi o Amerika Samoa ma ona talaaga aemaise tulaga e tutupu e ono pa ai i le lumanai. O loʻo galulue faʻatasi le Ofisa o le U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ma le National Ocea

Authors
Natalia I. Deligne, Drew T. Downs, Elinor Lutu-McMoore, Steven Sobieszczyk, Wendy K. Stovall
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center, Ofu-Olosega, Ta'u Island, Tutuila Island

Forecasting inundation of catastrophic landslides from precursory creep

Forecasting landslide inundation upon catastrophic failure is crucial for reducing casualties, yet it remains a long-standing challenge owing to the complex nature of landslides. Recent global studies indicate that catastrophic hillslope failures are commonly preceded by a period of precursory creep, motivating a novel scheme to foresee their hazard. Here, we showcase an approach to hindcast lands
Authors
Yuankun Xu, R. Burgmann, David L. George, E..J. Fielding, G.X. Solis-Gordillo, D.B. Yanez-Borja
By
Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center
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