Geology topics

William Tollett

Publications and source records attributed to William Tollett.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Seeing is believing: Livestream video monitoring of Hawaiian eruptions

Livestream video has become a crucial tool for volcano monitoring in recent years, building upon the use of webcam snapshots that have been common for the past two decades. In Hawaii, livestream video was first tested in 2018, and today, livestream video is a vital tool for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and partner agencies (National Park Service and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense) as well as the public. Its role in volcano monitoring has been highlighted by the 2024–present summit eruption of Kīlauea—where three livestream video feeds provide a continuous and easily accessible view of the activity for the public. Here, we describe the methodology and equipment used for the livestream cameras in Hawaii and discuss the benefits and challenges of livestream video monitoring. We show how the nature of livestream video has fundamentally changed volcano monitoring, providing an “up-close” view to the world that was previously limited to observatory field staff. The livestream video feeds, coupled with the historical summit lava fountains, have provided an unprecedented level of engagement with the public, both local and worldwide.

Hawaii↗

USGS2026

Insights from more than a year of ongoing episodic lava fountaining at Kilauea

Episodic lava fountaining is rare globally, with only three occurrences from Kīlauea (Hawaii) since 1823. Beginning in December 2024, an eruption within the summit crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, has produced 52 fountaining episodes to date, each lasting typically for hours and separated by days to weeks. Although multiple mechanisms have been proposed, fundamental questions remain about how magma reservoir pressure, conduit permeability, and volatile exsolution control fountaining onset. We present a multi-parameter record of episodic fountaining at Kīlauea using modern geochemical, geophysical, and geologic monitoring. These observations revealed systematic correlations between fountaining and summit inflation, enabling unprecedented quantitative forecasts. This eruption will provide new constraints on the timing, evolution, and processes driving episodic fountaining globally, and highlights Kīlauea’s role as a natural laboratory for studying volcanic processes.

Hawaii↗

USGS2025

Monitoring lava lake fluctuations and crater refilling with continuous laser rangefinders

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has developed a new method to continuously monitor lava lake elevations. Since 2018, HVO has stationed a laser rangefinder on Kīlauea’s caldera rim. The instrument automatically measures lava lake elevation each second, with centimeter accuracy. A stream of elevation data flows to HVO’s database and public website, contributing a valuable channel to HVO’s volcano monitoring network. The data display is intuitive for users, providing essential information with a new level of clarity. HVO has used this method to track Kīlauea’s changing lava lake elevations over a series of eruptions, and the time series data show several volcanic processes: crater refilling, gas pistoning, lava lake surface behavior, and endogenous crater floor uplift. This technique is versatile, nimble, and easy to use. Continuous laser rangefinders may also prove useful for tracking lava lakes elsewhere, and for monitoring other hazards such as growing lava domes and debris flows.

Hawaii↗

USGS2019

The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano

In 2018, Kīlauea Volcano experienced its largest lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption and caldera collapse in at least 200 years. After collapse of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent on 30 April, magma propagated downrift. Eruptive fissures opened in the LERZ on 3 May, eventually extending ~6.8 km. A 4 May earthquake (M6.9) produced ~5 m of fault slip. Lava erupted at rates exceeding 100 m3/s, eventually covering 35.5 km2. The summit magma system partially drained, producing minor explosions and near-daily collapses releasing energy equivalent to M4.7-M5.4 earthquakes. Activity declined rapidly on 4 August. Summit collapse and lava flow volume estimates are roughly equivalent--about 0.8 km3. Careful historical observation and monitoring of Kīlauea enabled successful forecasting of hazardous events.

Hawaii↗