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Aug 17, 2021

Three volcanoes erupt at the same time in Alaska, in rare phenomena

Three volcanoes on Alaska's Aleutian islands are erupting simultaneously, but are currently not a threat to local communities, according to recent news reports. This triple whammy is not common, but it's not unheard of, according to NBC News. Alaska has a lot of volcanoes, and we typically see maybe one...

Aug 27, 2021

Earthquake swarm rocks the ground at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano

Kilauea volcano gave scientists and local Hawaiians a scare this week, when a swarm of more than 140 earthquakes in just 12 hours prompted authorities to raise the alarm over a possible imminent eruption. But now, Kilauea's brief rumble is over; the volcano did not erupt and is barely registering...

Sep 20, 2021

La Palma volcano spews lava hundreds of feet in the air, but don't expect a 'mega-tsunami'

A volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma sent lava fountains shooting hundreds of feet into the air on Sunday (Sept. 19), forcing thousands of people to evacuate the area. The volcano, called La Cumbre Vieja or The Old Summit, last erupted in October 1971, when lava continually...

Sep 21, 2021

Giant pyramid built by the Maya was made from rock spewed by a volcano

About 1,500 years ago, Maya builders crafted a massive pyramid out of rock that had been ejected by a volcano, in an eruption that was so powerful it chilled the planet, scientists recently discovered. Around A.D. 539, in what is now San Andrés, El Salvador, the Ilopango caldera erupted in...

Sep 24, 2021

La Palma volcano eruption's infernal beauty visible from space (Photos)

New astronaut and satellite images of an active volcano on the island of La Palma reveal the frightening beauty of the eruption, as well as its dangerous proximity to humans. Lava began gushing out of the Cumbre Vieja crater on the island, which is located off the coast of northwestern...

Sep 29, 2021

Bright lava flows, smoke pour from La Palma volcano eruption in new Landsat photos

New satellite images of an active volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma capture vivid streams of lava pouring down the coastal mountain range and nearing the Atlantic Ocean. The eruption began on Sept. 19 from fissures on the western flanks of the Cumbre Vieja crater on La Palma,...

Sep 30, 2021

Canary islanders threatened by toxic gases from lava pouring into the sea

More than a week after its volcano erupted in a spectacular display of molten lava, islanders on La Palma are threatened by a new hazard — the toxic gases and particles created as the volcanic flow spills into the sea. Officials have told residents on the Spanish island — one...

Sep 30, 2021

Lava eruption at Kilauea spews 'Pele's hair' volcanic glass into Hawaii's skies

Kilauea volcano is erupting, sending lava and thread-like pieces of volcanic glass, known as Pele's hair, into Hawaii's skies, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Weather Service. The eruption began at about 3:20 p.m. local Hawaii time Wednesday (Sept. 29), when the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory...

Oct 7, 2021

Striking bull's-eye-shaped clouds form above erupting La Palma volcano

New satellite images have revealed a stunning pattern of concentric cloud rings, resembling a bull's-eye, that was formed by the continued eruption of the volcano on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands. The La Cumbre Vieja volcano, meaning The Old Summit in Spanish, has been erupting since Sept. 19 for...

Oct 20, 2021

World's biggest underwater eruption birthed skyscraper-size volcano

In 2018, the largest active underwater eruption ever recorded birthed a giant baby: a skyscraper-size underwater volcano, a new study finds. Scientists discovered the 2,690-foot-tall (820 meters) volcano in the western Indian Ocean, off Madagascar, following a puzzling spate of earthquakes that struck near what is normally a seismically quiet...

Dec 29, 2021

10 times volcanoes blew our minds in 2021

Volcanoes are one of the most extreme examples of Earth's raw power, eliciting fear and wonder at the same time. Every year, we are surprised by the ferocity, uniqueness and unpredictability of volcanoes, and 2021 was no different. Here are 10 times volcanoes blew our minds in 2021. Stunning Etna...

Jan 16, 2022

Huge Tonga underwater volcano eruption captured in stunning satellite video

A powerful underwater volcano eruption in Tonga on Saturday (Jan. 15) was captured as it happened in stunning images from an Earth-watching satellite, showing the sheer power for the explosive event in the South Pacific. The volcano eruption on the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai is visible as a spectacular...

Jan 18, 2022

Dramatic photos show horrific aftermath of massive Tonga eruption and tsunami

New aerial photos show a blanket of dust and ash covering the Pacific nation of Tonga following a massive underwater volcanic eruption. On Saturday (Jan. 15), the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) southeast of Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island, erupted in what may have been the largest eruption on the...

Jan 19, 2022

Ash from Tonga volcano eruption reaches record altitude but climate cooling unlikely

The volcanic eruption that destroyed a small island in Polynesia on Saturday (Jan. 15) injected a huge amount of ash into a record altitude but won't cause any disruption to Earth's climate, experts said. Satellites detected the ash cloud, which has already spread over Australia, at over 24 miles (39...

Jan 25, 2022

Tonga eruption equivalent to 'hundreds of Hiroshima bombs,' NASA says

The volcanic eruption in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga peaked on Jan. 15 with more explosive force than 100 simultaneous Hiroshima bombs, NASA scientists reported on Monday (Jan 24). Using a combination of satellite and surface-based surveys, researchers calculated the explosive power of the volcano based on the amount...