Volcano Watch: What causes the collapse/explosion events at Kilauea’s summit?
At the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Halemaʻumaʻu has changed dramatically since early May.
Volcano Watch: Colorful plumes — can we see volcanic gases?
When volcanic gases are released into the atmosphere, resulting plumes sometimes appear to have a faint color. Is this color indicative of a certain gas present? Answering this question requires describing what makes a plume visible in the first place.
Volcano Watch: How to protect yourself from volcanic ash produced by Halema‘uma‘u explosions
Small explosions that produce ashfall from Kilauea Volcano’s summit are not new. However, the mechanism, vigor, plume heights and extent of ash fallout from the current explosive activity within Halema‘uma‘u are.
Volcano Watch: Kilauea Volcano — What’s new and what’s not
With the current activity at Kilauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone and summit, it’s an understatement to say the volcano has been making worldwide headlines the past month.
Volcano Watch: Molten lava plus vegetation can create hazardous explosions
Numerous hazards are associated with active lava flows, and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists have written about many of them in past Volcano Watch articles. However, it’s been awhile since one particular hazard —so-called “methane explosions” — has been addressed.
Volcano Watch: Turn to USGS, other trusted sources for Kilauea eruption info
False rumors about the ongoing volcanic activity at the summit and lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano are causing unnecessary anxiety and confusion. We encourage everyone to check the source of any information you read or hear to be sure that it’s factual, accurate and timely.
Volcano Watch: It’s an extraordinary time on Kilauea Volcano
Last week’s Volcano Watch focused on the East Rift Zone eruption, which continues to impact the lower Puna District. Changes in the eruptionare occurring daily, if not hourly, so by the time you read this article, the situation likely will have changed.
Volcano Watch: Explosive eruptions at the summit of Mauna Loa — when did they occur?
Three deposits from explosive eruptions at the summit of Mauna Loa are located west, northwest and east of Moku‘aweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera. In map view, these deposits are fan-shaped. Along the ‘Ainapo Trail, 2.8 to 3.5 km (1.7 to 2.2 mi) southeast of the caldera, several kipuka expose a fourth distinct explosive deposit.
Volcano Watch: Disaster strikes Ka‘u in 1868 — the rest of the story
Already reeling from a destructive earthquake and deadly tsunami and mud flow on April 2, 1868, Ka‘u residentshoped for a reprieve, but it was slow to come.
Volcano Watch: Seismic event devastated Ka‘u 150 years ago
This week marks 150 years since the largest earthquake to strike Hawaii in the past two centuries. Estimated to have been at least magnitude 7.9, this earthquake struck April 2, 1868, near Pahala in the Ka‘u District.
Volcano Watch: Kilauea Volcano’s summit eruption is now a decade old
A little more than 10 years ago, conditions around Kilauea Volcano’s summit were much different than today. The caldera floor was open to the public, and the air above it was normally clear. Halema‘uma‘u was an impressive sight, but peacefully in repose. That quiet phase at Kilauea’s summit ended abruptly in 2008, ushering in a new era of lava lake activity that continues today.
Volcano Watch: Is the current summit eruption a return to Kilauea Volcano’s past?
To set the stage for next week’s Volcano Watch about the upcoming anniversary of Kilauea Volcano’s current summit eruption, this week we revisit the history of past Halemaʻumaʻu eruptions. We do so by reprising parts of a Volcano Watch article written in December 2008, soon after the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake reached a milestone as Kilauea’s longest summit eruption since 1924.
Volcano Watch: Slow slip event on Kilauea’s south flank expected this year
Today’s Volcano Watch begins with a question: Can you guess when the next slow slip event will happen on Kilauea Volcano’s South Flank? As a hint, the last one was in October 2015, and before then, events occurred in May 2012, February 2010 and June 2007. If this seems like a pattern, you’re right.
Volcano Watch: Why are HVO scientists talking so much about Mauna Loa?
In recent weeks, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory joined forces with several other agencies to talk about Mauna Loa at community events and other public meetings. Unfortunately, some information presented at these gatherings has been misinterpreted.
Volcano Watch: Sounds we can’t hear teach us about lava lakes
If you visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s Jaggar Museum Overlook when the wind is calm, you might be able to hear the sounds of gas bubbles bursting and lava splashing in the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake at the summit of Kilauea.
Volcano Watch: Archive now complete and inspires a new column
In November, “Volcano Watch” entered its 27th year of publication. The long history of this column is, in large part, thanks to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates who write the weekly articles, Hawaii newspapers and online news outlets that print and post the column and you, the dedicated readers who peruse it each week.
Volcano Watch: Keeping informed about Hawaiian volcanoes is the first step to preparedness
With recent attention focused on the need to be prepared for all hazards, this week’s Volcano Watch offers ways to stay informed about Hawaiian volcanoes and earthquakes.
Volcano Watch: What makes the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u rise and fall?
About a year ago, the lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u at Kilauea Volcano’s summit was high enough that spattering on the lake surface was commonly visible from the Jaggar Museum overlook in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Although nighttime glow from the lava lake remains impressive, direct views of spattering lava are now less common because the lake level gradually dropped since that time.
Volcano Watch: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looks forward to 2018
With January’s “Wolf Moon” illuminating Kilauea Caldera from above and the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake glowing below, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looks forward to another year of investigating the island’s magnificent, active volcanoes.
Volcano Watch: Happy birthday, Pu‘u ‘O‘o! A look back at what happened in 2017
On Jan. 3, 2018, Pu‘u ‘O‘o on Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone reaches its 35th birthday.
