Dr. Kenna Harmony Rubin

Kenna Rubin aboard the multi-purpose vessel MMA Valour on an expedition to study drowned Hawaiian reefs in 2023. (Photos courtesy of ML Parker media)

🌊 We’re thrilled to share that #URIGSO’s @kennarubin.bsky.social has been named an Explorers Club 50 (EC50) honoree!

Each year, the @theexplorersclub.bsky.social recognizes fifty extraordinary people advancing science & exploration across the globe. 🌊 🦑 🌋 🧪

➡️ Read more: buff.ly/9Z3SEeG

Montage of images showing 3 days of lava inundation into Hawaiian towns from Kilauea volcano in 2018, and a resultant overall inundation map. Source: Montage by Kenna Rubin using individual images from the expansive and well documented USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory media archive. Lava flowed from fissures in the Leilani Estate neighborhood down the East Rift Zone, and then turned toward the sea by Kapoho, part of a prior eruption in 1960. This eruption also initiated near fissures of a prior eruption in 1955 and not too far from lava inundation in 2014 and from a large eruption in 1840. This eruption was particularly destructive to built infrastructure, as seen here flowing through homes and out to sea. So why do so many people live here, and why were these towns established in the first place? These are complex questions with cultural, social, socio economic and geological underpinnings.

🧪🌋Drawing clear connections between science & impacts on people (especially around natural hazards) has always mattered, but now feels more important than ever. Thrilled to teach OCG131G Volcanoes & Society this semester to a large, curious @universityofri.bsky.social student group of many majors.

Kenna Harmony Rubin at sea in 2023, overlain with EC50 branding. Many thanks to the club for the honor. I am in the Alchemist subgroup of EC50 2026 explorers - explorers who embrace creativity & inspire us to see the world from new perspectives; their approach to exploration is a blend of diverse landscapes, eccentric tactics, and unyielding courage). Please see her personal EC50 profile at https://50.explorers.org/community/kenna-harmony-rubin/

Thrilled to in Explorers Club EC50 Class of 2026: an inspiring multinational cohort of extraordinary people pushing boundaries, doing remarkable science and exploration work across the planet. 50.explorers.org/community/
Thx @theexplorersclub.bsky.social & deepseadawn.bsky.social‬ nominating me 🧪🌋🌊

Glowing molten ejecta and freshly formed pyroclasts from a submarine volcanic eruption. Two distinct , mildly energetic eruption styles are shown at nearby vents during the 2009 West Mata eruption in northern Tonga. These common but rarely observed fully underwater eruptions produce thick, coarse pyroclastic deposits close to the vent. The deposits are unlike less frequent, but dramatic, very energetic, and more often observed eruptions that break the sea surface, such as Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai in 2022 or Havre in 2012, with eruption plumes and deposits influenced by distribution all or partly in air. Such eruptions that occur entirely beneath the sea surface produced landforms with low sea bed volcanic terrain stability, impacting the geology, hydrothermal activity, and ecosystem development. Image Source: Kenna Rubin, William Chadwick, Robert Embley, Susan Merle, David Clague (2025) Widescale Recent Submarine Pyroclast Production During NE Lau Basin Eruptions at 1-3 Km Water Depth and Resultant Volcano Morphology, AGU Fall 2025 meeting, New Orleans, LA, presentation V42B-07, Abstract ID:1916983, ESS Open Archive . January 21, 2026, DOI: 10.225

🧪🌋🌊 Deep-sea volcanic pyroclast formation decoded. Most submarine eruptions don't break the sea surface & are rarely observed. We're uncovering how energetic underwater eruptions produce distinctive fragmental deposits unlike subaerial plumes. 2 modes shown here presented at #AGU25. More in ALT text

ok scott, so I played the game, and it came up with this, which we both know will probably go to my head, so I will just act like it didn't happen

Thx 🤗

Collage of images highlighting some of the top 2025 stories in EOS BUZZ, the online version of the American Geophysical Union's science news magazine. Read about all the cool top stores they highlight at https://eos.org/articles/our-favorite-science-stories-of-2025. The Alvin human-occupied submersible, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is a continually evolving deep-sea research platform that has enabled scientific discovery for six decades. Its longevity reflects the work of dedicated scientists, engineers, technicians, and pilots, and long-term support from the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and the Office of Naval Research. I am honored to have been a part of that history for the past 3 decades. Image source: eos.org

🧪🌊 Stoked to see our DSV Alvin article named an Editor’s Favorite for 2025 by AGU’s Eos. 60 yrs of ocean discovery; the submersible is still evolving, thanks to an extraordinary community & long-term support from @whoi.edu #NSF #NOAA #ONR. Grateful to be a part of the story.
eos.org/articles/our...

Yes, it did take a little bit of time, but eventually people started looking. Some of the science is still coming out.

I am also super bummed that both AGU and GSA chose to hold their national meetings in super regressive southern states this year, where many in our community are uncomfortable attending. These societies should serve their membership more sensitively.

He will probably have plenty of tech bro billionaires to share his fantasy metaverse with.

he'll have to wait a loooong time for it to be livable 😂. thanks to Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele 🌋🌺

Link: youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-lk...

Very large glowing lava fountain at Kilauea volcano, 11 am hst, 7 Dec 2025, episodes 38, as grabbed live from the #USGS live K2 webcam.

🧪🌋⚒️ Beautiful Kilauea volcano in #eruption again, with an unusual very high mass flux, near-lateral #lava fountain, next to a vertical fountain in episode 38, now, 6 Dec 2025, as seen live on the K2 usgs webcam. See video clip of usgs livestream at ~10 am hst youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-lk... #hawaii

Me too 🤩

Glowing lava flow on 8 Nov. 2025, after the most recent high fountain episodes, from a live view camera, Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera), from the northwest rim of the crater USGSc V1cam]. SOURCE: U.S. Geological Survey https://share.google/Sf0CKlyXCTCde18Et

🧪🌋⚒️ This never gets boring. A pulse of hot lava meanders down the vent proximal surface flow this morning at Kilauea volcano #Hawaii. More than just pretty, Volcanologists study time variations of lava, tephra & gas distribution, movement, & composition to understand volcanic processes and hazards

Early morning glow of molten lava and hot fume as it escaped from the vent at Hawaii's #Kilauea volcano between fountaining episodes 35 and 36 in Halemaʻumaʻu crater on the V3 cam livestream. https://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/v3cam-kilauea-volcano-hawaii-south-halemaumau-crater

Enhanced capture of a rainbow over Halemaʻumaʻu s seen on the USGS live stream B1 cam today, from https://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/b1cam-kilauea-caldera-down-dropped-block-and-halemaumau

🧪🌋⚒️Kilauea putting on a show again! The vent was overflowing lava last night; this morning a rainbow arched over the crater. Looks like we’re heading for fountaining episode #36! Shoutout to #USGS_HVO for keeping the #openaccess live webcams streaming, rain or shine, to capture eruption frequency 🌈🔥

🧪🌊⚒️🌋 Can’t believe it’s been 3 years since my last deep-sea dive! Here’s a montage of #WHOI Alvin Dive 5097, from 6 km (20,000 ft) down. You’ll see glimpses of fresh lava flows and the remarkable life that thrives in the #DeepSea. #OceanExploration. Video by Kenna Rubin. Funding by NSF/NOAA/ONR.

I can see it! Are you perhaps thinking about a pre-grunge hair band, a chill solo piano album, a 70s heavy metal reboot, a once- alt U2 style swerve to the mainstream, or something else?

Lightning and glowing.volcanic fume at kilauea volcano in Oct 2015. Source: HVO image cropped and enhanced by Kenna Rubin to highlight the action. http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/

🧪🌋⚒️ No fountains, but dramatic still: throwback moment to pre 2018 Caldero collapse USGS-HVO image of glow over Halemaumau lava lake during an intense lightning storm at #Kilauea #volcano summit, Oct 16, 2015.

Kīlauea Collapse and Refilling – Changes Since 2018 YouTube video by USGS

🧪⚒️ What is it about erupting 🌋 that stirs us? Drama & destruction? Earth moving on timescales we can see & feel? The swagger of scientists who chase the fire? Thank you #USGS for the stunning YT #time-lapse of #Kilauea Caldera draining & refilling 2018 to now, & 4 all you do youtu.be/3uGiwlzxgHA?...

Wow, yes. Those are vivid memories. I'm sure it was unpleasant. That was an especially tense week or two between the big South Flank earthquake, Puu Oo shutting off, shallow rifting earthquakes migrating down rift and through the highway, fissure 1 opening up in leilani, with 21 more to follow.

I'm sorry to hear it. That 2018 eruption on the distal rift zone ended roughly 50 years of periodic activity somewhere on the East rift, and came after more than a century of no activity down there. Unfortunately, the county and state allowed people to build homes in high hazard areas

Glowing hot volcanic vent and solidified lava the early daylight hours at Kilauea volcano on 17-Oct-25, as captured live on the USGS V3 camera. source: https://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/v3cam-kilauea-volcano-hawaii-south-halemaumau-crater

🧵
🧪🌋⚒️And this is what the scene of my prior post it looks like in daylight a few hours later, with the surface flows paused......

A near-vent surface lava flow glowing orange in the early AM hours at Kilauea volcano on 17-Oct-25, as captured live on the USGS V1 camera. source: https://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/v1cam-kilauea-volcano-hawaii-west-halemaumau-crater

Glowing hot surface lava flow apron issues from low spattering at the active vent in the early AM hours at Kilauea volcano on 17-Oct-25, as captured live on the USGS V3 camera. source: https://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/v3cam-kilauea-volcano-hawaii-south-halemaumau-crater

🧪🌋⚒️No current US federal funding (thanks, shutdown), but the cameras are still rolling!🔥Huge gratitude for #USGS_HVO keeping the live feed up:

Early morning spatter & glowing surface flows today from #Kilauea’s Episode 35 in Halemaʻumaʻu crater are putting on a show. Catch it on the V1 & V3 cams.

Yes, agreed. The eruption was in 2022 , so things have recovered quite a bit by now.

The volcano was uninhabited, but it was very scary for the people on the nearby islands. On the Capitol Island, they suffered ashfall, and a large tsunami, and broken national and international submarine telecommunication cables. Relief was slow to get to the islands, bringing covid with it.

it sounds like a lot. I'm so sorry. Tonga is such a wonderful, laidback place, but every time I was there we could connect to the world if we wanted to. Not having that opportunity must have been difficult.

I am so sorry to hear that. My condolences. It must have felt very isolated there as well, with the cable breaks.

There is often something to love, and something not to love, at active volcanoes. The HTTH landscape (islands and whatnot) has evolved a lot in the past 15-20 yrs. Until 2022 I would have said Nukualofa was a generally safe distance to watch HTTH from; is that where you were?

Two true color satellite views of the rising and spreading tephra plume from the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai eruption, from the geostationary satellite GOES-West. (a) Aerial emission linked with the volcanic activity on 13 January; (b) Ash plume emitted during the main eruption on 15 January. Red lines depict the coastline and the yellow triangle depicts the position of the HTHH volcano. Source: Barone, Letelier, Rubin & Karl (2022) Satellite Detection of a Massive Phytoplankton Bloom Following the 2022 Submarine Eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai Volcano, Geophysical Research Letters, 49 (17) e2022GL099293; open access at https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022GL099293

Did you know that Earth's most & 2nd most powerful/explosive #volcanic #eruptions of the century were submarine? We are discussing both the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (pictured) & the 2012 Havre eruptions, both in the Kingdom of Tonga, this week in my Submarine volcanoes course at #URIGSO 🧪🌋🌊