#hvo

The permanent HVO seismic network consists of nearly 100 stations located across the island. HVO scientists use these stations to monitor the location and character of seismic activity, paying particular attention to signals that might herald migrating magma or potential eruptive activity. 

Volcano Watch: Staff at HVO study volcanic processes and associated hazards in Hawaiʻi, with the emphasis and end goal of protecting life and property. The backbone of the observatory is the monitoring network, consisting of a diverse array of instruments located on the flanks of the volcanoes. These instruments relay data back to the observatory, providing information on the behavior of Hawaiʻi’s active volcanoes.

A collaboration between the UNGE, the USAID-USGS VDAP, and US scientists through the Fulbright Specialist Program has culminated in the first volcano-monitoring program in Equatorial Guinea

On the Island of Hawaiʻi, frequent eruptions foster a close relationship between the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency. HVO monitors the active volcanoes and their associated hazards; HCCDA alerts and protects communities from impacts of volcanic events. This relationship, between volcano observatories and their emergency managers, was highlighted recently.

From Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2024, a magma intrusion into Kīlauea’s flank, southwest of the summit caldera, was the focus of attention at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Most of HVO’s field sites are more than one hour from definitive medical care, so staff take Wilderness First Aid training which prepares them for a variety of injuries and illnesses.

A series of earthquake swarms began suddenly at Kīlauea’s summit on October 4, 2023, and have continued periodically throughout the month.

The Keanakākoʻi viewing area is closed due to unsafe air quality. A plume of volcanic smoke contains sulfur dioxide, other gases and shards of volcanic glass that pose a significant risk, according to the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Service.

Although the amount of CO2 emitted by Mauna Loa may be small in a global view, it could still yield important clues about Mauna Loa’s volcanic processes and future eruptions. HVO hopes to find a location for the new gas monitoring station soon and have it installed in the coming months.

Five years ago, volcanic activity at Kīlauea dramatically changed when magma intruded into the lower East Rift Zone or “LERZ.” The summit region experienced 62 total collapse events during the eruption.

A new breakout at the Mauna Loa flow front reported overnight has removed lava from the channel, slowing the advance rate of the main flow, according to a new update issued by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Wednesday morning.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the lava continued to advance at a rate of about 40 feet per hour. “Though the advance rate has slowed over the past 24 hours, the lava flow remains active,” according to HVO scientists.

These forecasts are automatically issued after most magnitude 5 and larger earthquakes in the United States and its territories.  The first forecast is issued 20 minutes after the mainshock and they are updated 74 more times during the first year. 

Feeling occasional earthquakes is part of the experience of living in the State of Hawaiʻi, especially on the Island of Hawai‘i.  The vast majority of felt earthquakes are small, but the less common large earthquakes can be damaging, so it is important to be prepared. 

A noticeable seismic swarm occurred from late January through mid-April 2021 and was accompanied by changes by ground surface tilt recorded by a summit tiltmeter. This was an unprecedented observation that indicated magma had been getting closer to the surface. Another short swarm and tilt event was observed in early August 2022. 

Although there is a great deal we do not know about what a volcano is about to do, we can make some short-term forecasts based on what is currently happening. These forecasts, even over short periods of time, give people in the path of lava flows the ability to plan, providing critical answers to the questions: “Where’s that lava headed and when will it get there?”

Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) and collaborators from the University of South Florida had the unique opportunity to get a peek at the layers inside Ahuʻailāʻau (the cone that formed around fissure 8) with ground penetrating radar (GPR) over the summer.  

HVO’s new physical volcanology laboratory will be able to quickly process eruption samples, providing insights during an eruption crisis. Ultimately, this can lead to better constraints on eruption models and allow scientists to provide better hazard assessments.

There was no tsunami threat from a 4.2 magnitude earthquake reported overnight in the Pāhala area of the Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island. The quake occurred at 2:04 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, about 6 miles ENE of Pāhala, at a depth of 21 miles below sea level.

The Fagradalsfjall eruption gained such fame that it kept attracting people even after the eruption stopped on Sept. 18, 2021. Last month, on Aug. 3, after almost a year of repose, a new eruption began.