The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is an agency of the U.S. Geological Survey, with temporary offices located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. The former volcano observatory clifftop facility and HVO offices, closed due to structural damage in 2018, is located at Uwekahuna Bluff on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera. The observatory staff and equipment monitors four active Hawaiian volcanoes: Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. Because Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are significantly more active than Hualālai and Haleakalā, much of the observatory's research is concentrated on the former two mountains. HVO has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the study of active volcanism.
Introduction
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Introduction
A temporary offices located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. It is  located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. Kīlauea Uwekahuna Bluff on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera.
when was the last time mauna loa volcano erupted
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March 24 to April 15, 1984.
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what is the main entity?
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It is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the Pacific Ocean.
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what is its weather like?
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It has a tropical climate with warm temperatures at lower elevations and cool to cold temperatures higher up year-round.
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who monitors this volcano?
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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a branch of the United States Geological Survey.
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who founded it ?
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Thomas A. Jaggar.
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where is it located?
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After a lecture on his Martinique expedition in Honolulu, Jaggar was approached by Lorrin A. Thurston a prominent Honolulu lawyer and businessman. Thurston, like Jaggar, believed that Kilauea was a prime site for a permanent volcano observatory and inquired of Jaggar, "Is it then a question of money?". Within a year of this conversation, Thurston and other businessmen raised financial backing for the Hawaii Volcano Research Association. A small observing station was set up on the rim of Halemaumau crater (a pit crater within Kilauea's summit caldera). In 1912, support was forthcoming from an MIT alumnus and construction of the new Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) began.
Thomas Jaggar | Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Thomas Augustus Jaggar, Jr. (January 24, 1871 – January 17, 1953) was an American volcanologist. He founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and directed it from 1912 to 1940.
Thomas Jaggar | Introduction
The first instruments were in a cellar called the Whitney (for the donor) vault adjacent to the Volcano House Hotel. During his early years as Director, Jaggar struggled after private endowments with the hope of eventually securing sponsorship by the Federal Government. In 1919, Jaggar convinced the National Weather Service to fund HVO. The United States Geological Survey took over its operation in 1924, with the exception of a brief hiatus during the Great Depression when HVO was run by the National Park Service. In 1922, volcanologist Thomas Jaggar suggested using Kilauea’s heat for geothermal energy:
Thomas Jaggar | Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Besides the oral history of Ancient Hawaiians, several early explorers left records of observations. Rev. William Ellis kept a journal of his 1823 missionary tour, and Titus Coan documented eruptions through 1881. Scientists often debated the accuracy of these descriptions. When geologist Thomas Jaggar of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gave a lecture in Honolulu in 1909, he was approached by businessman Lorrin A. Thurston (grandson of Asa Thurston who was on the 1823 missionary tour) about building a full-time scientific observatory at Kīlauea. The Hawaiian Volcano Research Association was formed by local businessmen for its support. George Lycurgus, who owned the Volcano House at the edge of the main caldera, proposed a site adjacent to his hotel and restaurant.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | History
This seismograph vault (building number 29 on a site inventory) is state historic site 10-52-5506, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1974 as site 74000292. From 1912 until 1919, the observatory was run by Jaggar personally. Many important events were recorded, although as pioneers, the team often ran into major problems. For example, in 1913 an earthquake opened a crack in a wall and water seeped in. The windows meant to admit natural light caused the vault to heat up in the intense tropical sun. The opening of the national park in 1916 (at the urging of Thurston) brought more visitors to bother the scientists, but also park rangers who would take over public lectures.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | History
Due to the relatively non-explosive nature of Kīlauea's volcanic eruptions for many years, scientists could study ongoing eruptions in proximity without being in extreme danger. Also located at the shuttered main site was the public Thomas A. Jaggar Museum. In May 2018 the Kilauea caldera facility buildings were closed and the property permanently evacuated due to structural damage resulting from collapse explosions at Halemaʻumaʻu and earthquakes related to the 2018 lower Puna eruption, which also led to the months-long closure of the Kīlauea unit of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Introduction
In 1911 and 1912, small cabins were built on the floor of the caldera next to the main active vent of Halemaʻumaʻu, but these were hard to maintain. MIT added $25,000 in support in 1912 from the estate of Edward and Caroline Whitney to build a more permanent facility. The first instruments were housed in a cellar next to the Volcano House called the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology. Inmates from a nearby prison camp had excavated through of volcanic ash. Massive reinforced concrete walls supported a small building built on top of the structure. Professor Fusakichi Omori of Japan, now best known for his study of aftershocks, designed the original seismometers.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | History
Jaggar Museum included interpretive exhibits on the work performed at the observatory. The exhibits ranged from general information on volcanoes and lava to the scientific equipment and clothing used by volcanologists. Some of the museum's windows provided a sheltered view of Halemaʻumaʻu and the Kīlauea Caldera. A public observation deck at the museum, overlooking Kīlauea and formerly open 24 hours a day, provided views of the area. On May 10, 2018, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was closed to the public in the Kīlauea volcano summit area, including the visitor center and park headquarters, due to explosions, earthquakes and toxic ash clouds from Halemaʻumaʻu.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Present day operations
While much of the park was reopened on September 22, 2018, the former Observatory building and Jaggar Museum remain closed, due to considerable structural damage done to the facility.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Present day operations
The prison that had supplied laborers was replaced by the Kīlauea Military Camp. In 1919, Jaggar convinced the National Weather Service to take over operations at the observatory. In 1924, the observatory was taken over by the United States Geological Survey and it has been run by the USGS ever since (except for a brief period during the Great Depression, when the observatory was run by the National Park Service). When the Volcano House hotel burned to the ground in 1940, the old building was torn down (although the instruments in the vault continued to be used until 1961).
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | History
In 1909 Perret suggested to the geophysicists Thomas Jaggar from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Reginald A. Daly of Harvard University to establish a continuous monitoring station at Kilauea. Perret spent four months on Kilauea in 1911, where he began to make the first long-term observations of activity from the edge of the crater Halemaʻumaʻu. The station was the forerunner of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which was built by Thomas Jaggar the following year. When Mount Pelée on the French Caribbean island of Martinique became active again in 1929, some years after the devastating eruption of 1902 Perret was one of the first scientists on site.
Frank A. Perret | Introduction
Established on Kīlauea in 1912, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), presently a branch of the United States Geological Survey, is the primary organization associated with the monitoring, observance, and study of Hawaiian volcanoes. Thomas A. Jaggar, the observatory's founder, attempted a summit expedition to Mauna Loa to observe its 1914 eruption, but was rebuffed by the arduous trek required (see Ascents). After soliciting help from Lorrin A. Thurston, in 1915 he was able to persuade the US Army to construct a "simple route to the summit" for public and scientific use, a project completed in December of that year; the Observatory has maintained a presence on the volcano ever since.
Mauna Loa | Monitoring
The main visitor center, located just within the park entrance at , includes displays and information about the features of the park. The nearby Volcano Art Center, located in the original 1877 Volcano House hotel, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses historical displays and an art gallery. The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, now closed due to damage from the 2018 eruptive events, is located a few miles west on Crater Rim Drive. The museum featured more exhibits and a close view of Kīlauea's active vent Halemaʻumaʻu. The museum is named after scientist Thomas Jaggar, the first director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which adjoins the museum.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Visitor center and museums
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is an agency of the U.S. Geological Survey, with temporary offices located in Hilo on the Island of Hawaii. The former volcano observatory clifftop facility and HVO offices, closed due to structural damage in 2018, is located at Uwekahuna Bluff on the rim of Kīlauea Caldera. The observatory staff and equipment monitors four active Hawaiian volcanoes: Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, and Haleakalā. Because Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are significantly more active than Hualālai and Haleakalā, much of the observatory's research is concentrated on the former two mountains. HVO has a worldwide reputation as a leader in the study of active volcanism.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Introduction
In 1894 a four-horse stagecoach reduced the travel time from Hilo from two days to six hours. George Lycurgus bought the hotel in 1895 and was associated with it for the next 65 years. The Hawaii Consolidated Railway line to Glenwood opened in 1901, bringing more visitors. Author Jack London stayed in 1907. In 1912, geologist Thomas Jaggar built a scientific observatory adjacent to the porch, used until 1961 by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The instruments were housed in an underground vault with massive concrete walls, excavated by laborers from the nearby prison.
Volcano House | The 1877 structure
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was established on the rim of the Kīlauea Caldera in 1912. Eruptions from the Kīlauea Caldera have taken place in 1982, 1975, 1974, 1971, 1921, 1919, 1918 and possibly in 1820 and 1790.
Kīlauea Caldera | Introduction
The Hawaii Center for Volcanology was a cooperative effort between the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the United States Geological Survey, and the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The loosely organized cooperative was created in 1992 to "bring together experts from around the state of Hawaii so that we might better understand these magical mountains of fire", and consists of approximately 80 scientists. Its site is maintained by members of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology staff, even though it is no longer in operation.
Hawaii Center for Volcanology | Introduction
Modern electronic equipment now monitors earthquakes from several sites, with over 100 remote stations transmitting data 24 hours a day. This information is provided immediately over the Internet, as is live coverage of ongoing eruptions from several webcams accessible from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website (see External links). Another important function of HVO is to monitor the sulphur emissions that produce the volcanic pollution condition known as vog. The observatory advises the park service when to close areas due to this and other volcanic hazards. While the main Observatory building itself was not open to the public, the adjacent Thomas A.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Present day operations
From one of his earliest papers describing the eruption of Mount Azuma in 1893 to his death, Omori studied Japanese volcanos. He described several types of volcanic earthquakes from data obtained at regular eruptions of Mount Asama in central Japan, the 1910 Mount Usu eruption and the 12 January 1914 eruption of Sakurajima. At the latter two eruptions, his warnings to the population prevented greater loss of life. After meeting Thomas Jaggar of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was planning a volcanic observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii, Omori designed the foundations and seismograph emplacement for the Whitney Laboratory of Seismology, building 29 near Volcano House, now part of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, state historic site 10-52-5506 and National Register of Historic Places site 74000292, added 24 July 1974.
Fusakichi Omori | Volcanic seismicity
Ancient Hawaiians were the first to recognize the increasing age and weathered state of the volcanoes to the north as they progressed on fishing expeditions along the islands. The volatile state of the Hawaiian volcanoes and their constant battle with the sea was a major element in Hawaiian mythology, embodied in Pele, the deity of volcanoes. After the arrival of Europeans on the island, in 1880–1881 James Dwight Dana directed the first formal geological study of the hotspot's volcanics, confirming the relationship long observed by the natives. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory was founded in 1912 by volcanologist Thomas Jaggar, initiating continuous scientific observation of the islands.
Hawaii hotspot | Introduction
The 115-room building burned to the ground on February 11, 1940 (from a kitchen fire, not a volcanic eruption). The 1877 structure was used again for guests while the new hotel was planned. Lycurgus visited Washington, D.C. to convince powerful friends (many, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt had stayed as guests) to allow him to build an even more elegant hotel on the site of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. A separate visitor's center farther back from the rim was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. By November 1941 a new building designed by Charles William Dickey (1871–1942) was opened southeast of the original site, at coordinates .
Volcano House | The modern hotel
From 1883 to 1885 it was owned by the Oliver T. Shipman family. In 1891, a group led by Honolulu businessman and politician Lorrin A. Thurston (grandson of 1820s missionaries Asa and Lucy Goodale Thurston) acquired the Volcano House and Peter Lee's hotels. The business was so successful that a two-story addition became the main part of the hotel, adding 10 - 12 additional guest rooms, an observation tower, and a larger dining hall, using the 1877 structure as a wing. Thurston commissioned a cyclorama of Kīlauea which he displayed in his travels to the mainland, including the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 in San Francisco.
Volcano House | The 1877 structure
Significantly predating the current observatories there is evidence of active astronomy on Mauna Kea in the 1901 Land Office Map of the Island of Hawaii showing the "Hawaii Astronomy Station" near the Mauna Kea summit. After studying photos for NASA's Apollo program that contained greater detail than any ground-based telescope, Gerard Kuiper began seeking an arid site for infrared studies. While he first began looking in Chile, he also made the decision to perform tests in the Hawaiian Islands. Tests on Maui's Haleakalā were promising, but the mountain was too low in the inversion layer and often covered by clouds.
Mauna Kea Observatories | Origin and background
The Thomas A. Jaggar Museum was also a popular tourist stop. Located at the edge of Kīlauea Caldera, the museum's observation deck offered the best sheltered view on the volcano of the activity at Halemaʻumaʻu; however, the museum closed indefinitely after the building housing it sustained structural damage from earthquakes associated with the 2018 eruptive episodes.
Kīlauea | Tourism
The observatory itself is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and is not open to the public. The Kilauea Military Camp provides accommodations for U.S. military personnel. Volunteer groups also sponsor events in the park.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Visitor center and museums
HAO's telescopes are located at its Mauna Loa Solar Observatory, near the summit of that volcano on the big island of Hawaii. NCAR's solar observatory shares space on the campus of NOAA's larger Mauna Loa Observatory. HAO's researchers are based at NCAR headquarters, in Boulder, Colorado.
High Altitude Observatory | Mission and vision
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano. Among the best known are the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the Vesuvius Observatory. Mobile volcano observatories exist with the USGS VDAP (Volcano Disaster Assistance Program), to be deployed on demand.
Observatory | Volcano observatories
However, these volcanoes now fall under the jurisdiction of the California Volcano Observatory (CalVO), formed in February 2012 and based in Menlo Park, California, which monitors and researches volcanic activity throughout California and Nevada. The Cascades Volcano Observatory is part of the USGS, a scientific agency of the United States government. It is located in Vancouver, Washington in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.
Cascades Volcano Observatory | Introduction
At the summit, seismicity and deformation are negligible. Sulfur dioxide emission rates at both the summit and the Lower East Rift Zone are drastically reduced; the combined rate is lower than at any time since late 2007. Earthquake and deformation data show no net accumulation, withdrawal, or significant movement of subsurface magma or pressurization as would be expected if the system was building toward a resumption of activity. , the lull in eruptive activity at Kīlauea continues and most of the park is open; however, some road segments and trails remain closed to visitors, while the Jaggar Museum of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is closed indefinitely.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Recent events
AVO is located in Anchorage on the campus of Alaska Pacific University.
Alaska Volcano Observatory | Introduction
An operational base was established by the UWI Seismic Research Unit (SRU) immediately following the first phreatic explosions on 18 July 1995. Various scientists and scientific organizations contributed in the following years, organized at various times by the SRU and British Geological Survey (BGS). The Observatory was officially established as an organization by the Montserrat Government in 1999. It is currently managed by the Seismic Research Centre, University of West Indies.
Montserrat Volcano Observatory | History
The David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) is a volcano observatory that monitors volcanoes in the northern Cascade Range. It was established in the summer of 1980, after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The observatory is named for United States Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist David A. Johnston, who was swept away in the Mount St. Helens eruption on the morning of May 18, 1980. The observatory's current territory covers Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The Cascade Range's extent includes northern California, and Cascade volcanoes in that state, such as Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak, previously fell under the CVO's jurisdiction.
Cascades Volcano Observatory | Introduction
By the end of 1906, the lava lake was again present nearly all of the time. At the time geologist Thomas Jaggar opened the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912, Halemaumau was nearly full with active lava. In February 1924, Halemaumau's lava lake drained away, again leaving behind a pit crater deep. Beginning on April 29, of that year, the crater floor began to collapse, eventually deepening to more than deep by May 7, 1924. Beginning during the night of May 9–10, 1924, a period of explosive eruptions took place at Halemaumau. The explosions emitted large explosive columns of ash and other debris up to high that precipitated on surrounding communities.
Halemaʻumaʻu | 1906 to 1924: Reemergence of lava lake and explosive eruption
'We stopped and trembled.' Astonishment and awe for some moments rendered us mute, and, like statues, we stood fixed to the spot, with our eyes riveted on the abyss below.″ The volcano became a tourist attraction in the 1840s, and local businessmen such as Benjamin Pitman and George Lycurgus ran a series of hotels at the rim. Volcano House is the only hotel or restaurant located within the borders of the national park.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | History
Thurston commissioned a cyclorama of Kīlauea which he displayed in his travels to the mainland, including the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 and the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 in San Francisco. Thurston eventually made peace with George Lycurgus, who had been an insurgent against Thurston's government, and sold him the Volcano House in 1902. He also became friends with early volcanologist Dr. Thomas Jaggar in 1909 and raised money to fund the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1912. He used his newspaper to promote the national park idea and convinced the territorial legislature to fund a group of congressmen to visit Haleakalā and Kīlauea in 1907.
Lorrin A. Thurston | Business
Charles Wilkes camped in this area on the United States Exploring Expedition in 1840, on his way to Mauna Loa. About 1846 a primitive one-room grass shelter was constructed at the rim of the Kīlauea crater by Benjamin Pitman, the first hotel to call itself "Volcano House". Sometimes visitors would show up after the long journey and nobody would be home. A more substantial wood frame structure was built in 1866 with four bedrooms, parlor, and dining room. Mark Twain stayed here, and wrote about his visit in the book "Roughing It".
Volcano House | Early visitors
The Johnston Ridge Observatory is located east of Castle Rock, Washington, at the end of Washington State Route 504, four miles from the mountain. Exhibits focus on the geologic history of the volcano, eyewitness accounts of the explosion, and the science of monitoring volcanic activity. Two movies and ranger-led programs are available every hour. A half-mile paved trail provides views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and landslide deposit, with access to hiking trails in the restricted area. The observatory is located near the site of volcanologist David A. Johnston's camp on the morning of May 18, 1980, and opened in 1993.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument | Johnston Ridge Observatory
That is 11 times larger than the five volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Thermal Emission Spectrometer | Introduction
In 1876 George W. C. Jones bought out the other partners in the business and hired William H. Lentz to construct a longer-lasting structure, and manage the hotel. A wood-sided building about was built in 1877. It included six guest rooms, two for the manager's family, and a dining room. Lumber for rafters and posts were harvested from local forests of naio ("Myoporum sandwicense") and ōhia lehua ("Metrosideros polymorpha"). Peter Lee built a hotel at the coast in Punaluu to the west, and a road across the Kaū Desert to bring visitors. He also built a competing hotel at the Kīlauea rim called the Crater House Hotel.
Volcano House | The 1877 structure
The Haleakalā Observatory, also known as the Haleakalā High Altitude Observatory Site, is Hawaii's first astronomical research observatory. It is located on the island of Maui and is owned by the Institute for Astronomy of the University of Hawai'i, which operates some of the facilities on the site and leases portions to other organizations. Tenants include the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGTN). At over in altitude, the summit of Haleakalā is above one third of the Earths's troposphere and has excellent astronomical seeing conditions.
Haleakalā Observatory | Introduction
After testing, he discovered the low humidity was perfect for infrared signals. He persuaded then-Governor John A. Burns to bulldoze a dirt road to the summit where he built a small telescope on Puu Poliahu, a cinder cone peak. The peak was the second highest on the mountain with the highest peak being holy ground, so Kuiper avoided it. Next, Kuiper tried enlisting NASA to fund a larger facility with a large telescope, housing and other needed structures. NASA, in turn decided to make the project open to competition. Professor of physics, John Jefferies of the University of Hawaii placed a bid on behalf of the university.
Opposition to the Mauna Kea Observatories | Background
Underlying all observatory operations is an ongoing program of fundamental research in volcanic processes, supplemented by collaborative studies with universities, government agencies (in the U.S. for instance with other US Geological Survey centers, and NOAA), industry and non-governmental organizations. Such research typically includes direct interpretation of the monitoring and eruption data, and it leads to formulation of conceptual models that can be tested by theoretical or laboratory simulations of volcanic systems. Almost all observatories are members of the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO). The oldest volcano observatory is the Osservatorio Vesuviano (founded 1841) in Naples, now a member of the Italian government agency INGV.
Volcano observatory | Research
In 2012, the park was depicted on the 14th quarter of the America the Beautiful Quarters series. On May 11, 2018, the park was closed to the public in the Kīlauea volcano summit area, including the visitor center and park headquarters, due to explosions and toxic ash clouds from Halemaʻumaʻu, as well as earthquakes and road damage. Portions of the park, including the visitor center, reopened to the public on September 22, 2018. , most of the park is open; however, some road segments and trails as well as the Jaggar Museum of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory remain closed to visitors.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Introduction
The Volcano Block Building is a historic structure in Hilo, Hawaii built in 1914.
Volcano Block Building | Introduction
In 1997, scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi installed an ocean bottom observatory on the summit of Lōʻihi Seamount. The submarine observatory was nicknamed HUGO, (Hawaiʻi Undersea Geological Observatory). HUGO was connected to the shore, away, by a fiber optic cable. It was designed to give scientists real-time seismic, chemical and visual data about the state of Lōʻihi, which had by then become an international laboratory for the study of undersea volcanism. The cable that provided HUGO with power and communications broke in April 1998, effectively shutting it down. The observatory was recovered from the seafloor in 2002.
Lōʻihi Seamount | HUGO (Hawaii Undersea Geological Observatory)
He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his BS degree in 1949 and his MS in 1951. He continued his graduate studies at the Colorado School of Mines and received his DS in 1953 on the geology of the Independence Range in northern Elko County, Nevada. He worked for Bethlehem Steel in Venezuela 1949–50), New World Exploration Company (1951–54), University of Illinois (1954), Dartmouth College (1954–79) and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (1979–84). He moved to California in 1984. He established the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1989. He was president of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI, 1975–79).
Robert W. Decker | Life
Kīlauea has been a tourist attraction since the 1840s, and local businessmen such as Benjamin Pitman and George Lycurgus ran a series of hotels at the rim, including Volcano House, which is still the only hotel or restaurant located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. In 1891, Lorrin A. Thurston, grandson of the American missionary Asa Thurston and investor in hotels along the volcano's rim, began campaigning for a park on the volcano's slopes, an idea first proposed by William Richards Castle, Jr. in 1903. Thurston, who owned the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper, printed editorials in favor of the idea; by 1911 Governor Walter F.
Kīlauea | Tourism
On the "Big Island" of Hawaiʻi, Mauna Kea is considered the highest island mountain in the world. While the summit is often covered with snow, the air is extremely dry. Kuiper began looking into the possibility of an observatory on Mauna Kea. After testing, he discovered the low humidity was perfect for infrared signals. He persuaded Hawaiʻi Governor John A. Burns to bulldoze a dirt road to the summit where he built a small telescope on Puu Poliahu, a cinder cone peak. The peak was the second highest on the mountain with the highest peak being holy ground, so Kuiper avoided it.
Mauna Kea Observatories | Origin and background
In 1957–1958, the International Geophysical Year, Keeling obtained funding from the Weather Bureau to install infrared gas analyzers at remote locations, including the South Pole and on the volcano of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii. Mauna Loa was chosen as a long-term monitoring site due to its remote location far from continents and its lack of vegetation. Keeling and his collaborators measured the incoming ocean breeze above the thermal inversion layer to minimize local contamination from volcanic vents. The data were normalized to remove any influence from local contamination. Due to funding cuts in the mid-1960s, Keeling was forced to abandon continuous monitoring efforts at the South Pole, but he scraped together enough money to maintain operations at the Mauna Loa Observatory, which have continued to the present day.
Keeling Curve | Mauna Loa measurements
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, established on August 1, 1916, as "Hawaii National Park" is an American national park located in the U.S. state of Hawaii on the island of Hawaii. The park encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano. The park provides scientists with insight into the birth and development of the Hawaiian Islands, and ongoing studies into the processes of volcanism. For visitors, the park offers dramatic volcanic landscapes, as well as glimpses of rare flora and fauna. In recognition of its outstanding natural values, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was designated as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | Introduction
The KEASA observatory is located on the west side of Kauaʻi at the Pacific Missile Range Facility near Barking Sands Beach at an altitude of . It is funded as a joint venture with Kauai Community College. The observatory houses the Bob Byers telescopes:
Kauaʻi Educational Association for Science and Astronomy | Observatory
In 1912 Omori shipped to Hawaii two instruments, an Omori-type Horizontal Tromometer and a seismograph, to be placed on the specially built foundations. A year later, two more Bosch-Omori seismographs were donated to the HVO by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fusakichi Omori | Volcanic seismicity
Volcano House is the name of a series of historic hotels built at the edge of Kīlauea, within the grounds of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on the Island of Hawai'i. The original 1877 building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses the Volcano Art Center. The hotel in use today was built in 1941 and expanded in 1961. Between May 2018 and October 2018, the hotel and the Kīlauea summit area of the national park were closed to the public due to volcanic explosions and earthquakes.
Volcano House | Introduction
The Kauaʻi Educational Association for Science and Astronomy (KEASA) is a non-profit educational astronomical organization located in Mana on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. It was founded in 1989. It meets monthly for star watches. Its observatory is the largest on the island and takes advantage of Kauaʻi's unique weather and topology which provide some of the best conditions for star gazing at sea level.
Kauaʻi Educational Association for Science and Astronomy | Introduction
Halemaumau was quiet for 25 years after the 1982 eruption, with eruptive activity at Kīlauea being focused on the volcano's east rift zone beginning in 1983. However, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists observed a gradual increase in activity beginning in late 2007, including an increase in sulfur dioxide emissions and an increase in seismic tremor. By March 2018, these parameters were several times higher than normal. Crater activity began to increase when between March 10 and March 14, 2008 gas began to vent from the east wall fumarole directly below the Crater Overlook. At 02:58 am HST on March 19, 2008, HVO personnel recorded seismic events, and sunrise revealed a 20–30 meter (65–100 foot) diameter hole blown in the side where the vent once was; the explosion scattered debris and spatter across and damaged the Crater Overlook.
Halemaʻumaʻu | Beginning of the eruption
Other groups began requesting subleases on the newly accessible mountaintop. By 1970, two telescopes had been constructed by the United States Air Force and Lowell Observatory. In 1973, Canada and France agreed to build the 3.6 m CFHT on Mauna Kea. However, local organizations started to raise concerns about the environmental impact of the observatory. This led the Department of Land and Natural Resources to prepare an initial management plan, drafted in 1977 and supplemented in 1980. In January 1982, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents approved a plan to support the continued development of scientific facilities at the site.
Mauna Kea Observatories | Origin and background
Kaʻau Crater is an extinct volcanic crater located in the U.S. state of Hawaii near Palolo Valley.
Kaʻau Crater | Introduction
The Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is a research unit within the University of Hawaii system, led by Robert McLaren as Acting Director. IfA main headquarters are located at 2680 Woodlawn Drive in Honolulu, Hawaii, , adjacent to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa campus. Additional facilities are located at Pukalani, Maui and Hilo on Hawaii island (the Big Island). IfA employs over 150 astronomers and support staff. IfA astronomers perform research into Solar System objects, stars, galaxies and cosmology. The Institute for Astronomy was founded in 1967 to conduct research and to manage the observatory complexes at Haleakalā, Maui and the Mauna Kea Observatory on the summit of Mauna Kea.
Institute for Astronomy (Hawaii) | Introduction
He later assumed responsibility for the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park as well. Sager's works include the Moro Rock Stairway, several structures at Giant Forest Village-Camp Kaweah Historic District (1926-1927) in Sequoia National Park, and the House of the Sun Visitor Center at that Crater Historic District in Haleakala National Park. In the early 1930s, he was also the assistant park architect at Crater Lake National Park. In 1933, he prepared a general plan for the Crater Lake headquarters area. His works at Crater Lake include the Sinnott Memorial Observation Station, Watchman Lookout Station, Comfort Station No. 72, and structures in the Munson Valley and Rim Village Historic Districts.
Merel S. Sager | Introduction
Volcano is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States located in the District of Puna with a small portion of the CDP in the District of Kaū. The population was 2,575 at the 2010 census, up from 2,231 at the 2000 census.
Volcano, Hawaii | Introduction
George David Madeira (October 1836 – January 1922) was a mining engineer and mineralogist who founded the first astronomical observatory in California in the town of Volcano. Madeira arrived with his family from Illinois in Volcano on August 30, 1852. They, like many others, had come in search of gold during the California Gold Rush. He had been interested in astronomy as a child, reporting to have observed a comet in February, 1843. Although his formal education had ended at age 15, he continued to study mathematics from a neighbor, a Methodist minister from British Columbia named Telerand. In 1860, he set up a crude observatory consisting of his telescope (which he had delivered from San Francisco), and a heavy canvas and oilcloth covering.
George Madeira | Introduction
Following World War I he called for government restrictions on Japanese-language schools, legislation that was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Thurston put out a special edition to support the fight to ban billboards in Hawaii. He worked with Wallace Rider Farrington and Alexander Hume Ford to hold a world conference of newspaper editors. He was also a volcano enthusiast, starting in his childhood exploring Haleakalā on Maui. He would act as an informal tour guide for visitors to the summit, and used oral history to estimate the time of its last eruption. In 1891, he bought and expanded the Volcano House hotel at the rim of the active Kīlauea volcano on the island of Hawaii.
Lorrin A. Thurston | Business
Three of the earliest recorded observers of the volcanoes were the Scottish scientists Archibald Menzies in 1794, James Macrae in 1825, and David Douglas in 1834. Just reaching the summits proved daunting: Menzies took three attempts to ascend Mauna Loa, and Douglas died on the slopes of Mauna Kea. The United States Exploring Expedition spent several months studying the islands in 1840–1841. American geologist James Dwight Dana was on that expedition, as was Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, who spent most of the time leading a team of hundreds that hauled a pendulum to the summit of Mauna Loa to measure gravity.
Hawaii hotspot | Modern studies
A wing with larger rooms was added in 1958 - 1961, for a total of 42 rooms. The facility also includes a dining room, snack bar, art gallery, and gift shop. Volcano House remains the only public hotel within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. From 1977 to 1986, Volcano House was managed by Sheraton Hotels. From 1986 to 2008 it was owned and operated by Ken Direction Corporation of Hilo.
Volcano House | The modern hotel
The flanks of the volcano do not pose a lower threat to the population than the area near the rift zones because the distance is short and the slopes are steep; lava poses as much of a threat as it does near its source. Since 1991, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has maintained a seismic recording station east of Hualālai's summit to monitor the volcano. During this time, not a single earthquake swarm or harmonic tremor, indicative of activity at the volcano, has occurred. Although Hualālai does experience several magnitude-4 earthquakes per year, these are attributed to a deep source off the coast of the north-western rift zone and are not related to the movement of magma.
Hualālai | Future monitoring
The Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) is an atmospheric baseline station on Mauna Loa, on the island of Hawaii, located in the U.S. state of Hawaii.
Mauna Loa Observatory | Introduction
Haleakalā Observatory is an observation site located near the visitor center. It lies above the tropical inversion layer and so experiences excellent viewing conditions and very clear skies. For over 40 years, the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy has managed this site, conducting dedicated astrophysical experiments. One of its missions, the Maui Space Surveillance System (MSSS), tracks satellites and debris orbiting the Earth. The buildings are on a gated road just past the summit and are not within the park boundary.
Haleakalā National Park | Haleakalā Observatory
The Hawai’i hotspot is a volcanic hotspot located near the namesake Hawaiian Islands, in the northern Pacific Ocean. One of the best known and intensively studied hotspots in the world, the Hawaii plume is responsible for the creation of the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain, a mostly undersea volcanic mountain range. Four of these volcanoes are active, two are dormant; more than 123 are extinct, most now preserved as atolls or seamounts. The chain extends from south of the island of Hawaii to the edge of the Aleutian Trench, near the eastern coast of Russia. While most volcanoes are created by geological activity at tectonic plate boundaries, the Hawaii hotspot is located far from plate boundaries.
Hawaii hotspot | Introduction
In ancient Hawaii the volcano was the place to make offerings to the fire goddess Pele. Archeological evidence shows activity for hundreds of years, including gathering of volcanic glass to use as cutting tools. Only a few rare eruptions such as the one in 1790 are explosive, and the northeast rim provides a relatively safe vantage point. The prevailing northeast trade winds and higher elevation cause poisonous gasses and lava to flow in the other direction. Rev. William Ellis describes camping in this area in his journal of his 1823 missionary tour with Asa Thurston. An enterprising Hawaiian was reported to have set up a small thatched hut in the early 1840s to sell food to visitors, who by then included sightseers as well as explorers.
Volcano House | Early visitors
Christina "Tina" Neal is a volcanologist and an honoree for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. Neal is the Scientist in Charge at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, succeeding Jim Kauahikaua in 2015.
Christina Neal | Introduction
The California Volcano Observatory (CalVO) is the volcano observatory that monitors the volcanic and geologic activity of California and Nevada. It is a part of the Volcano Hazards Program of the United States Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the United States government. Originally, the volcano observatory was known as the Long Valley Observatory which monitored volcanic activity east of the Sierra Nevada in Mono County, California which included Long Valley Caldera, Mammoth Mountain, and the Mono–Inyo Craters. In 2012, the Long Valley Observatory was integrated into the new California Volcano Observatory based in Menlo Park, California which covers the entire states of California and Nevada, this includes the southern Cascade Range volcanoes in the state of California which were previously under the jurisdiction of the Cascades Volcano Observatory.
California Volcano Observatory | Introduction
The team manned observing stations on three different islands. The primary observing station was established by George Lyon Tupman on the island of Oahu in the Apua district of Honolulu. The site was atop the bell tower of Kawaiaha`o Church. Nearby Ali`iolani Hale, at that time the Hawaiian Kingdom's capitol building, was a second Oahu location atop the building's clock tower manned by an American observer. Two auxiliary stations were established, one in Waimea, Kauai, manned by Richard Johnson with assistance from Lieutenant R.H. Wellings of HMS "Scout", and another in Kailua, Hawaii, manned by George Forbes and Henry Glanville Barnacle.
1874 Transit of Venus Expedition to Hawaii | Team
JA Volcano is an inactive volcano located near Albuquerque, New Mexico. JA Volcano is the southernmost of 5 volcanoes in a 5-mile chain within the western boundary of Petroglyph National Monument. The USNPS writes, "Volcano “Erupts” But Fools No One—a 1950 newspaper headline declared. Nobody was fooled, apparently, because the same prank—piling tires on the side of a volcano and setting them on fire to simulate an eruption—had been tried in 1947 with much greater success (even causing a panic in the city). For years students from nearby St Joseph would paint a "J" on Vulcan Volcano, when the light is right it can still be seen." St.
JA volcano | Introduction
W. M. Keck Observatory reported 90% of observations were remote by 2002, many from their facility in Waimea, on the plateau north of the mountain, and automation allowed control from California.
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy | History
She returned in 2000 to the Alaska Volcano Observatory as a staff geologist, mapping and studying active Alaskan volcanoes. In March 2015, she became the Scientist in Charge at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. In 2019, Neal and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Team was a Science and Environment finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal.
Christina Neal | Career
New tubes diverted lava away from Kalapana early in 1991, and lava once again entered the ocean within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Puʻu ʻŌʻō | 1986 – 1991: Eruption shifts east to Kūpaianahā
A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a volcano. Each observatory provides continuous and periodic monitoring of the seismicity, other geophysical changes, ground movements, volcanic gas chemistry, and hydrologic conditions and activity between and during eruptions. They also provide a detailed record of eruptions in progress.
Volcano observatory | Introduction
In February 1907 he reported on the eruptions of Mauna Loa to the Washington D. C. newspaper "The Evening Star", with a detailed scientific history of volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. Several months later when a debate arose over the anticipated decline of the Hawaiian atoll Laysan, when some believed it was in the process of sinking into the ocean, Bishop provided a geological history of the atoll to "The Hawaiian Star".
Sereno Edwards Bishop | Scientific observations
The reserve was established in 1981. In 1998, the area leased to the Mauna Kea Observatory (called the Kea Science Reserve) was modified to exclude the Ice Age reserve. Another small parcel surrounding the rocky cinder cone called Puu Pōhaku at , contains a rare example of permafrost in the tropics. A 2004 study found the rare wēkiu bug ("Nysius wekiuicola") in the reserve.
Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve | Location
The University of Hawai'i 88-inch (2.24-meter) telescope—called UH88, UH2.2, or simply 88 by members of the local astronomical community—is situated at the Mauna Kea Observatories and operated by the University's Institute for Astronomy. It was constructed in 1968, and entered service in 1970, at which point it was known as "The Mauna Kea Observatory". It became one of the first professional telescopes to be controlled by a computer. The telescope was built with funding from NASA, to support Solar System missions, and is controlled by the University of Hawai'i. The success of the telescope helped demonstrate the value of Mauna Kea for astronomical observations.
UH88 | Introduction
YVO was founded in 2001, originally as a three-way partnership with the USGS, the University of Utah and Yellowstone National Park. It was expanded in 2013 to include all eight current organizations
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory | Introduction
Koolau Range is a name given to the dormant fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972.
Koʻolau Range | Introduction
Ulupaʻu Crater (also known as Ulupaʻu Head) is a tuff cone in the U.S. state of Hawaii, located near Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the Mokapu Peninsula. It formed as a result of the Honolulu Volcanic Series, which was a set of eruptions from the Koʻolau Range during its rejuvenation stage. The HVS also created other volcanoes such as Diamond Head. The eastern part of Ulupaʻu's rim was destroyed due to erosion. A cinder cone known as Puʻu Hawaiʻiloa is located nearby on the same peninsula.
Ulupaʻu Crater | Introduction
Volcano has a number of Gold Rush-era buildings with signs indicating their historic significance. A post office opened in Volcano in 1851. Volcano boasts one of the longest-running general stores in California, having been in continuous use since 1852. The Union Billiard Saloon and Boarding House opened in 1880 and was also the site of the Volcano Justice Court, presided over by Judge Peter Jonas. In 1862, B.F. George built the St. George Hotel on the previous footprint of the Eureka Hotel, which burned down in 1853, and the Empire Hotel, which burned down in 1859. George Madeira established California's first recorded astronomical observatory in 1860 which is where the Great Comet of 1861 was discovered (in the U.S.).
Volcano, California | Tourist attractions
A few rustic cabins named Hale Pōhaku (which means "stone house" in the Hawaiian language) were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps on the southern slope of Mauna Kea in the 1930s for hunters and other explorers. A rough jeep trail was built in 1964 under Governor John A. Burns, and a small telescope determined that Mauna Kea would be an ideal place for an astronomical observatory. The Hale Pōhaku area was used as a construction camp for the building of the observatories through the 1970s, and the road realigned in 1975. A permanent complex of buildings was constructed in 1983 known as the Mid-Level Facility.
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy | History
W. H. Shipman House is a historic home used by William Herbert Shipman. It is located at 141 Kaiulani Street, named for Princess Kaiulani, the last crown princess of the Kingdom and Liliuokalani's niece. In 1856 King Kamehameha IV leased an area known as "Kolo iki" to William Reed for cattle pasture. In 1861 Reed purchased the and it came to be known as "Reed's Island". It is not really an island, but the area between a current and ancient channel of the Wailuku River. J. R. "Jack" Wilson owned Volcano Stables, a horse rental business at the current site of the historic Volcano Block Building in Hilo.
W. H. Shipman House | Introduction
In May 2000, an international research team aboard the CSIRO research vessel FRANKLIN fixed the position of the volcano at 8° 59.65'S, 157° 58.23'E. At that time the vent of the volcano was below sea level, but frequent eruptions ejected molten lava up to above sea level, and sulfurous steam plumes up to . The team mapped a roughly conical feature rising from water depth, with the volcano having a basal diameter of about .
Kavachi | Geography
After studying photos for NASA's Apollo program that contained greater detail than any ground based telescope, Gerard Kuiper began seeking an arid site for infrared studies. While he first began looking in Chile, he also made the decision to perform tests in the Hawaiian Islands. Tests on Maui's Haleakalā were promising but the mountain was too low in the inversion layer and often covered by clouds. On the "Big Island" of Hawaii, Mauna Kea is considered the highest island mountain in the world, measuring roughly 33,000 feet from the base deep under the Pacific Ocean. While the summit is often covered with snow the air itself is extremely dry.
Thirty Meter Telescope protests | Development of Mauna Kea observatories
Printmaker and art educator Huc-Mazelet Luquiens called this period "a little Hawaiian renaissance".
Volcano School | Introduction
After studying photos for NASA's Apollo program that contained greater detail than any ground-based telescope, Gerard Kuiper began seeking an arid site for infrared studies. While he first began looking in Chile, he also made the decision to perform tests in the Hawaiian Islands. Tests on Maui's Haleakalā were promising but the mountain was too low in the inversion layer and often covered by clouds. On the "Big Island" of Hawaii, Mauna Kea is considered the highest island mountain in the world. While the summit is often covered with snow the air itself is extremely dry. Kuiper began looking into the possibility of an observatory on Mauna Kea.
Opposition to the Mauna Kea Observatories | Background
The Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanic activity initiated at an undersea magma source called the Hawaii hotspot. The process is continuing to build islands; the tectonic plate beneath much of the Pacific Ocean continually moves northwest and the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. Because of the hotspot's location, all currently active land volcanoes are located on the southern half of Hawaii Island. The newest volcano, Lōihi Seamount, is located south of the coast of Hawaii Island. The last volcanic eruption outside Hawaii Island occurred at on Maui before the late 18thcentury, possibly hundreds of years earlier.
Hawaii | Geology
The W. M. Keck Observatory is a two-telescope astronomical observatory at an elevation of 4,145 meters (13,600 ft) near the summit of Mauna Kea in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Both telescopes have aperture primary mirrors, and when completed in 1993 (Keck 1) and 1996 (Keck 2) were the largest astronomical telescopes in the world. They are currently the 3rd and 4th largest telescopes.
W. M. Keck Observatory | Introduction
The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, also known as Hale Pōhaku, is a complex of support facilities for the telescopes and other instruments that comprise the Mauna Kea Observatory atop Mauna Kea, on Hawaii island.
Onizuka Center for International Astronomy | Introduction
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) is a volcano observatory which is located on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, where the Soufrière Hills volcano (SHV) has been actively erupting since 1995. The MVO staff describe their activities as working to reduce the impact of volcanic activity by monitoring, researching, educating, and advising. The MVO building is situated in the village of Flemmings, in the parish of St. Peter, in the northern part of the island.
Montserrat Volcano Observatory | Introduction
Volcano is located on the east side of the island of Hawaii, on the border of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and near the northeast rim of Kīlauea's summit caldera. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land. Hawaii Route 11 passes through the southern part of the community, leading northeast to Hilo and southwest to Nāālehu. Owing to its altitude, ranging from below in the southeast to over at its uninhabited northern end, Volcano features a subtropical highland climate (Köppen "Cfb"), with relatively uniform temperatures and abundant rainfall throughout the year, although rainfall is concentrated during the months of November through April.
Volcano, Hawaii | Geography and climate
The land was once part of the extensive ranch of William Herbert Shipman. Although ancient Hawaiians knew the molds were from a lava flow, one of the first to propose that they were from former trees was Rufus Anderson Lyman. It was closed in May 2018 due to the eruption of Kīlauea when lava flows approached the park.
Lava Tree State Monument | History
Because no large enough tract of open land was available near Boston, the array was constructed on a semi-desert property known as"Volcano Ranch", about west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an altitude of . During 1957 and 1958, Linsley and Scarsi deployed 19 scintillation counters, which used fluorescent plastic disks similar to those of the Agassiz detectors, except that each counter incorporated four disks viewed by four photomultipliers. Initially the area of the array was 2.5*10 m, which is to be compared with Agassiz's 10 m, but in 1960, after Scarsi had returned to Milan, Linsley spread the detectors over an area of 10 m.
Bruno Rossi | Volcano Ranch experiment
Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The crater was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the secondary activity of the Honolulu Volcanic Series. A crater resulted from the ejection of hot lava through cracks in the old coral reefs which, at the time, extended to the foot of the Koolau Mountain Range. The volcano is most likely a monogenetic volcano, meaning that it only erupted once. Although there are various translations of the Punchbowl's Hawaiian name, "Puowaina," the most common is "Hill of Sacrifice." This translation closely relates to the history of the crater.
Punchbowl Crater | Introduction
Kuiper would abandon his site (the very first telescope on Mauna Kea) over the competition and begin work in Arizona on a different NASA project. After considerable testing by Jefferies' team, the best locations were determined to be near the summit at the top of the cinder cones. Testing also determined Mauna Kea to be superb for nighttime viewing due to many factors, including the thin air, constant trade winds and being surrounded by sea. Jefferies would build a 2.24 meter telescope with the State of Hawaiʻi agreeing to build a reliable, all weather roadway to the summit. Building began in 1967 and first light was seen in 1970.
Mauna Kea Observatories | Origin and background
IVHHN was founded in 2003 by its Director, Claire Horwell, a Professor at Durham University. The network is a Commission of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI). IVHHN advises governmental agencies on preparing communities for eruptions and works closely with humanitarian agencies such as the Pan American Health Organization. IVHHN also administers the Hawaii Interagency Vog Dashboard, an online portal for information about volcanic emissions from Kilauea volcano. IVHHN was cited, by Forbes Magazine, as being an excellent source of information during the 2018 eruption crisis at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii.
International Volcanic Health Hazard Network | About IVHHN