Volcanoes of Hawai`i

The island of Hawai`i has one of the youngest and most diverse landscapes on Earth. Built by countless eruptions of lava and tephra and sculpted by faults, landslides, and water, the Big Island is a remarkable window into the early histories of the other, much older Hawaiian Islands. The images below illustrate the striking landscapes of Hawaiian volcanoes and the islands they've built in the past few million years. You'll also find images of recent eruptions and the work that we do to improve our understanding of volcanoes and issue timely warnings when hazardous activity threatens people and property. See description of images on this Web site.

Kilauea Volcano

Tour of summit caldera

East rift zone photographs

Pu`u` `O`o - Kupaianaha eruption

• 1983-1986, The rise of Pu`u `O`o
• 1986-1991, Eruption shifts to Kupaianaha
• 1992-1994, Eruption returns to Pu`u `O`o
• 1995-1998, The fall of Pu`u `O`o
• 1999-2000, Intrusion triggers pause in eruption

Mauna Loa Volcano

• 1984 eruption

Spotlight Image Archive

• Interesting images used on our Home page

Other USGS photo galleries of volcanoes

• Photo glossary of volcano terms, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program
• Long Valley caldera, California, from the Long Valley Observatory
• Cascade Range, Pacific Northwest, from the Cascades Volcano Observatory