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Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Volcano Monitoring Can Be A Risky Business: How Scientists Work Safely

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.

Hawai’i Volcanoes Expands Area Closures Due To Kīlauea Unrest In Upper East Rift Zone

While Kīlauea volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is not erupting, more signs of increased unrest are occurring as earthquakes spike in the upper East Rift Zone near Puhimau Crater. As a precaution, the park has closed Chain of Craters Road at the intersection near Devastation parking lot and nearby areas.

Guidelines For Viewing Kīlauea's Latest Eruption At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Crimson lava fountains shooting into the sky and a shimmering lake of molten rock make the Kīlauea volcano's latest eruption a sight to behold at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and park officials hope those who come to enjoy it do so in a safe and respectful manner.

The Most Unusual Kīlauea Eruption...Maybe 1823?

Last month a "Volcano Watch" article discussed the bicentennial of the first visit of Westerners to Kīlauea caldera, led by English missionary William Ellis, in 1823. Ellis did not just visit the summit region; he had approached from Kaʻū, traveling along what eventually became known as Kīlauea’s Southwest Rift Zone. Ellis first witnessed evidence of Kīlauea’s restlessness there, in the form of a vast, 4.8-square-mile (12.5 square-kilometer) lava flow that had erupted just a short time before.

Searching For Tephra From One Of Kīlauea's Largest Explosions

Understanding the eruptive history of volcanoes in Hawaii requires a tremendous amount of time and effort examining deposits. Typically, older eruptions have less material exposed at the surface because younger eruptions bury them, or wind and rain erode them. Such is the case for one of Kīlauea’s largest explosive eruptions, which is not exposed near its source at the summit and must be studied further afield.

Monitoring Kīlauea With Ocean Noise

Ocean swells are constantly occurring across the Earth’s oceans. These swells interact with the ocean crust below, creating continuous ocean noise that travels all over the Earth, including through our active volcanoes here in Hawaii. Because ocean noise signals are always being generated, scientists can use these seismic sources to identify small changes occurring in the Earth’s crust over time.

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