Volcano monitoring at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Abstract

The island of Hawaii has one of the youngest landscapes on Earth, formed by the frequent addition of new lava to its surface. Because Hawaiian eruptions are generally nonexplosive and easily accessible, the island has long attracted geologists interested in studying the extraordinary power of volcanic eruption. The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), now nearing its 75th anniversary, has been in the forefront of volcanology since the early 1900s. This issue of <i>Earthquakes and Volcanoes</i> is devoted to the work of the Observatory and its role in studying the most recent eruptions of Hawaii's two currently active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa.