Relaxation doesn’t come naturally to everyone, so when I grudgingly slipped into the steamy, mineral-rich water at Radium Hot Springs, I couldn’t help but think of that deadly day in 1967 when a semi truck hauling gasoline lost control on the steep mountain highway nearby and crashed, killing the driver and spilling more than 7,000 gallons of fuel into the creek that ran beside the hot pool and under the main stone building.

Active volcanoes are inherently hazardous places to work. Even when a volcano is quiet, volcanic gases, ground cracks, earthquakes, and uneven surfaces can be unsafe. Advanced planning and preparation for fieldwork in these environments is critical to reducing the personal risk of volcanic hazards to field crews.

Arson is suspected as the cause of the Rich Mountain Fire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the National Park Service is requesting the public’s help in identifying those responsible.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers have reopened Chain of Craters Road and nearby sites as unrest and seismicity return to normal levels in Kīlauea volcano’s upper East Rift Zone (ERZ).