Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. We are used to seeing eruptions from the summit region of Kīlauea contained to the region referred to as Halemaʻumaʻu.

Waves of orange, glowing lava and smoky ash belched and sputtered Monday from the world’s largest active volcano in its first eruption in 38 years, and officials told people living on Hawaii’s Big Island to be ready in the event of a worst-case scenario.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is once again erupting, sending shocking spurts of lava flying around the area

Authorities in the Philippines have since banned travel within about a 3.7-mile radius of the Mayon volcano

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory released footage showing a tower of lava erupting from the latest episode at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on Tuesday.

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the Davao Region on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao in late May 2026, shaking homes and sending residents into the streets across one of the country’s most densely populated areas.

After one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes erupted on May 8, 2026, killing three hikers, an old video circulated in posts falsely claiming it showed the climbers fleeing the summit of Mount Dukono as it spewed volcanic ash.

Nearly 200,000 people in 124 villages in the northern Philippines were affected and over 5,400 fled massive plumes of ash that billowed from Mayon volcano

While the USGS scientists learned plenty about volcanism in El Salvador during this trip, it also provided key insights to bring home to our own volcanoes. Explosive eruptions in Hawaii are relatively rare, but the ability to correctly interpret their deposits is critical to understanding potential future hazards.

We are used to seeing eruptions from the summit region of Kilauea contained to the region that is referred to as Halema‘uma‘u. Halema‘uma‘u, home of Pele, is a crater situated within the larger, steep-walled caldera at the summit of Kilauea named Kaluapele.