 HVO observation tower, abandoned in 2018 after structural damage | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1912 |
| Headquarters | Hilo, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo |
| Footnotes | |
| [1][2][3] | |
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is an agency of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and one of five volcano observatories operating under the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. Based in Hilo, Hawaii, the observatory monitors six Hawaiian volcanoes: Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Lōʻihi), Hualālai, Mauna Kea, and Haleakalā, of which, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are the most active. The observatory has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the study of active volcanism. Due to the relatively non-explosive nature of Kīlauea's volcanic eruptions for many years, scientists have generally been able to study ongoing eruptions in proximity without being in extreme danger.
Prior to May 2018, the observatory's offices were located at Uwekahuna Bluff, the highest point on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera. The summit collapse events during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea damaged those facilities, so the observatory has since been operating from various temporary offices located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaiʻi.
- ^ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, About the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Retrieved Jan. 19, 2023.
- ^ "New Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory – HS Today". February 3, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
- ^ Staff (February 3, 2021). "Ken Hon named scientist-in-charge at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory – UH Hilo Stories". Retrieved April 7, 2023.