Volcanoes Live!

People have been fascinated by volcanoes for centuries. They can be very exciting, very dangerous when erupting and give us an interesting insight into how igneous rocks may form.  Today with the wonders of modern technologies, such as webcams, anyone with internet access can watch what is happening currently at many of the volcanoes around the world.

Sakurajima - Kagoshima, Japan

Sakurajima – Kagoshima, Japan erupting  (Krypton / CC BY-SA - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Some of the webcams are placed right on the rim of craters and some further away, but each gives us a fascinating view of the power of the Earth. You might not see a lot of action when viewing the webcam feed, maybe just some steam or a little ash being ejected, but if you time it right you may be lucky enough to see a larger eruption. The views from the webcams will also show you some of the different landscape features such as volcano shape, evidence of past eruptions and elevation (perhaps there is snow on the volcano?).

White Island (Whakaari), New Zealand

White Island (Whakaari), New Zealand

The list of webcam links below is not exhaustive but may inspire you to look for more! Before clicking on links, some things to note:

• Some of the webcams update every minute, some only update once every day or so
• Sometimes they break down, due to the nature of the environment they are in
• If you’re only seeing darkness, it may be night-time where the volcano is located
• Sometimes cloudy or rainy weather can block your view
• You may also see thermal images of the volcanoes, these show the temperature of the craters
• The websites may not be in English but often Google translate will do a decent job of explaining what you’re seeing or help you to navigate the site

The webcams

• Kilauea, Hawaii 
• A range of New Zealand volcanoes including White Island (Whakaari) and Mt Taranaki 
• Mt Etna, Italy 
• Mt Vesuvius, Italy 
• A range of Japanese volcanoes including Sakurajima (Kyushu)  and Mt Fuji 
• Klyuchevskoy, Russia 
• Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion Island (France) 
• Fuego, Guatemala 
• A range of Alaskan volcanoes including Augustine and Redoubt 
• Popocateptl, Mexico 
• This website shows webcams from many different volcanoes around the world by name – choose the volcano you want to view from the drop down menu in the top left

Mt Mayon, Phillipines
(Darkimages08 / CC BY-SA - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Bonus webcam! You can also view a live stream of the geysers in Yellowstone National Park, including the famous Old Faithful. 

Explore for yourself

Explore how volcanoes change shape during and after eruptions using materials you might find around your home, such as; a foil tray, bricks, sand, and a sauce bottle. Just click here to download our PALMS activity guide. 

References:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/14zZfpg3vmb9r4FB9mCHjy/live-volcano-webcams  Accessed 30/03/2020

https://www.wired.com/2015/04/worlds-volcano-webcams/

Accessed 30/03/2020