#hawaii volcano watch
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory welcomes 150 international scientists to Hawai’i
From Feb. 9-14, the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will welcome approximately 150 international volcanologists to Hilo to explore the impacts and insights of the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.
Volcano Watch – Something new from something old: A new Geologic Map of the State of Hawaiʻi
The original purpose of geologic mapping in Hawaiʻi was to understand the distribution of groundwater and soils to support agriculture. But as geologic maps have been developed over time, they’ve provided basic information on how the Hawaiian Islands evolved, the workings of individual volcanoes, and the relative degree of long-term hazards posed.
Volcano Watch: How High Is That Lava Fountain?
Lava fountains are spectacular to observe at Kīlauea and provide insight into eruption dynamics. If you are lucky enough to see fountaining, you too can measure lava fountains! Or you can simply estimate the height knowing that the spatter cone is about 20–25 m (65–80 ft) high. Either way, enjoy the view.
Volcano Watch: The Canary Islands “Mega-Tsunami” Hypothesis, and Why it Doesn’t Carry Water
On the Island of Hawai‘i, lava delta collapse at lava-ocean entries can cause small tsunami that impact areas adjacent to the delta. Slip on the fault underlying Kīlauea’s south flank, associated with M7–8 earthquakes, caused local tsunami in 1868 and 1975 that took lives. These are processes that have happened repeatedly in human history; they will happen again, and their associated hazards deserve our attention.
Volcano Watch: How does HVO determine which regions are most threatened by lava flows?
The long-term likelihood of an area being invaded by lava in the future, is estimated in two different ways based on the history of lava flow activity. One approach uses a geologic map to calculate how much land surface was covered by lava during different periods going back into the past; the resulting numbers are called coverage rates. Another approach calculates how frequently lava flows have occurred within specific areas over time; the resulting number is a lava flow probability.
Volcano Watch: New Kīlauea Summit Intrusion Draws Comparison to Past Activity
There were 2 events with 3 or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.8 earthquake 21 km (13 mi) WNW of Mountain View at 19 km (12 mi) depth on Aug. 25 at 9:25 a.m. HST and a M3.3 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) ENE of Pāhala at 32 km (19 mi) depth on Aug. 20 at 10:16 a.m. HST.
Volcano Watch: Volcanoes in Canada, eh?
Closest to the US-Canada border, municipalities just south of Vancouver, British Columbia, sit on deposits from Mount Baker, located in Washington State. So, while the volcano itself is in the US, were it to erupt, the area near Vancouver could still be affected by hazards like mudflows and ash fall.
Volcano Watch: New Research Sheds Light on Recent Pāhala Earthquake Swarms
Many people in Kaʻū have noticed the swarm of earthquakes taking place during the past few years. These earthquakes are happening in a zone that is 29-40 km (18-25 miles) beneath Pāhala and extends south about 10 km (6 miles) offshore. Some of the largest earthquakes from this region have been felt throughout the Island of Hawai‘i.
Volcano Watch: Tiny Changes at Mauna Loa’s Summit Hold Big Clues
In the past six months, there has been an uptick in earthquake activity on Mauna Loa’s west flank and changes in the pattern of deformation at its summit. These changes are small, sometimes barely above the noise, but may be telling us that the magma system is evolving in important ways.
Volcano Watch: How Measuring Gravity on Mauna Kea Helps us Monitor Mauna Loa
Gravimeters, essentially extremely precise pendulums, can measure a change in the force of gravity to one-in-one billionth of the force you feel every day. This force varies based on the distance and the amount of mass between the instrument (or you) and the center of the Earth.
Volcano Watch — Using the Ocean to Track Volcanic Activity at Kīlauea
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has a number of seismometers in place across Kīlauea Volcano for monitoring volcanic processes and active fault movements. When magma is not moving within or erupting from Kīlauea, the oceanic microseisms appear on seismometers as a repeating and unchanged signal.
Volcano Watch — Kīlauea’s south flank: What’s shaking?
Kīlauea Volcano is erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is at WATCH. Lava activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu with lava erupting from a vent on the northwest side of the crater.
Volcano Watch: A Small But Notable Magma Intrusion at Kīlauea’s Summit
Recently, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s monitoring network recorded another first post-eruption event at Kīlauea’s summit: a magmatic intrusion. Following an earthquake swarm on November 30, 2020, that was centered in the middle of Kīlauea caldera, several pulses of heightened earthquake activity were recorded in the upper East Rift Zone.
Volcano Watch — That Didn’t Feel Like a Magnitude-4? What do Earthquake Measurements Mean?
This is why the MMI scale is the best way to communicate the relative effects among earthquakes. Values are derived from direct observations of the public and will give the best sense of shaking experienced in different regions.
HVO: Water Was in Kīlauea Caldera Before the 2018 Summit Collapse
Kīlauea monitoring data for the past month show variable but typical rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emissions, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018.
