Volcano Watch — An assembly of volcano scientists to gather in Hilo
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today’s article is by HVO geologist Kendra J. Lynn. This cartoon schematic depicts the Kīlauea 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and coincident summit collapse. It is the logo for the American Geophysical Union Chapman Meeting on Caldera-Forming Eruptions at Basaltic Volcanoes, to be held in Hilo, Hawaii, from February 9-14, 2025. More info: https://www.agu.org/chapman-basaltic-caldera-forming-eruptions . Next week, during February 9-14, volcano scientists from around the world are gathering in Hilo, united by the common goal of understanding caldera-forming eruptions
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory welcomes 150 international scientists to the Island of Hawai’i
The AGU Chapman Conference on Caldera-Forming Eruptions at Basaltic Volcanoes will bring together an interdisciplinary group of scientists to contrast observations from historic global caldera-rift eruptions, establish the state-of-the-art in knowledge, identify outstanding questions, and motivate lasting new research efforts. HILO, Hawaii — From February 9-14, 2024, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will host an international gathering of approximately 150 volcanologists in Hilo to explore the impacts and insights of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption. In partnership with the American Geophysical Union, the Caldera Forming Eruptions at Basaltic Volcanoes conference will gather experts to share research on caldera-forming
Volcano Watch — Announcing 2025 Volcano Awareness Month Art & Poetry Contest Winners
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Winners of the Island of Hawaiʻi Volcano Awareness Month 2025 Art Contest. Upper left, Linda Hansen from Pāhoa, submitted a painting titled “Kīlauea welcomes Christmas 2024” that won in the adult division. In the lower left, Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary School 11th grader Añaza Nielsen won the high school category with their colored pencil artwork titled “Volcanic Activity,” which depicts the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption as a thermal image. The upper right shows “Lava Flow,” a watercolor and ink
Volcano Watch — Recent lava fountains highlight Pele’s Hair hazards
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. On January 16–17, persistent lava fountaining at Kīlauea summit, coupled with Kona wind conditions, resulted in Pele's hair falling on nearby communities and within parts of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. This photo was taken near Kīlauea Visitor Center, where strands of the fine volcanic glass had accumulated into tubular tumbleweeds of Pele's Hair reaching up to 56 centimeters (22 inches). USGS photo by K. Mulliken. Pele’s Hair is the name for the strands of volcanic glass that are created when
Volcano Watch — Peering into a crystal ball: What tiny crystals can tell us about their trip through the magma chamber
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article was written by HVO post-doctoral researcher Heather Winslow. (A) Spatter cone samples from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption in and near Nāpau Crater from September 15–20, 2024. Crystals were collected from samples like this. (B) Back-scattered electron image of a plagioclase crystal from the September 2024 Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption. This crystal shows two distinct chemical zones from its core to rim. The core has a different composition from the rim of the
Medicine Lake Volcano part of newly-designated Sáttítla Highlands National Monument
Aerial view west across the upper part of Medicine Lake Volcano toward Mount Shasta, with the caldera lake labeled in the distance. The volcano has erupted numerous times over its half-million-year history, including 9 times in the last 5,000 years. The youngest among these eruptions created the 950-year-old Glass Mountain flow, a known source of obsidian for indigenous people. The name "Sáttítla" translates to "obsidian place" in the Ajumawi language. The volcano, although currently dormant, is considered active with the ability to erupt again in human lifetimes. As a result, it has been designated by the USGS as a “high
Volcano Watch — The pressure is on, within Kīlauea and for volcanologists to foretell what’s next
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article is being issued on Friday due to the holiday on Thursday. Episodic eruptions have occurred before on Kīlauea at the start of the 1983 Puʻuʻōʻō and the 1969 Maunaulu eruptions (44 and 12 episodes each) on the middle East Rift Zone, and during the 1959 Kīlauea Iki summit eruption (17 episodes). While the recent Kīlauea summit eruption is currently paused, persistent night glow from the vent and continued strong degassing indicate molten magma is probably within 150–300
USGS-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program honored with American Geophysical Union 2024 International Award
For its outstanding contribution to furthering Earth science and using science for the benefit of society in developing nations, USGS-USAID Volcano Disaster Assistance Program has been named recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s 2024 International Award. Volcano Disaster Assistance Program has had a deep and lasting impact on the global community. Since 1986, team members have responded to over 70 major volcanic crises at more than 50 volcanoes and have strengthened response capacity in 22 countries. The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program trains volcano observatory scientists, assists in volcano crisis response, provides equipment to improve monitoring and interpretive capacity, fosters global
Volcano Watch — Happy New Year, Hawaiian Style
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Passing showers on the morning of December 29 at Kīlauea summit produced a rainbow (known in Hawaiian as an "Ānuenue") visible near the active lava fountaining in the southwest part of the caldera. USGS photo by M. Patrick. The eruption is currently in its third episode, with pauses and resumptions of eruptive activity correlating with the level of pressurization within the magma chambers beneath the summit region of Kīlauea. Two important instruments for monitoring the level of pressurization are the
Volcano Watch — Kīlauea summit erupts again
Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on December 24, 2024. Several vents along the southwest of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor feed lava flows on the floor of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). The new eruption within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) began at approximately 2:20 a.m. HST on December 23, 2024. Lava fountains reached heights of nearly 300 feet (91 meters) and lava flows covered more than 650 acres (2.6 square kilometers) during two distinct eruptive episodes between December 23 and 25. Both