Maui Science and Environment Business & Shopping Hawaii Directory

Home » Hawaii » Maui » Maui Science and Environment » The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in eList Hawaii Directory

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) enjoys a world-wide reputation as a leader in the study of active volcanism. Due to their usually benign natures, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, the most active volcanoes on the Island of Hawaii, can be studied up close in relative safety. While observations made by 19th-century missionaries and travelers constitute a large part of the early and colorful history of volcano watching in Hawaii, HVOs origins are rooted in a desire to use scientific methodology to understand the nature of volcanic processes and to reduce their risks to society. HVO has a long and complex history, much of which was summarized by Russell Apple, retired National Park Service historian, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding by Thomas Jaggar in 1912. Russ has kindly given us permission to quote in full his historical essay, which appeared in USGS Professional Paper 1350, a collection of mostly technical papers about Hawaii published in 1987 and edited by Bob Decker, Tom Wright, and Peter Stauffer. Russ essay stands out in its accuracy and readability, and we recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the flavor of HVO, particularly during the first half of the 20th century.

Website: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanoes/haleakala/