# Volcano Alert Tracker — USGS Elevated Volcanoes (`m_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker`) Actor

Get all currently elevated-alert-level US volcanoes from the official USGS Volcano Hazards Program: alert level, aviation color code, observatory, and a link to the full notice. For aviation, geology, and disaster-preparedness use.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/m\_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker.md
- **Developed by:** [Timothy Kelvin](https://apify.com/m_ctim) (community)
- **Categories:** Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Volcano Alert Tracker — USGS Elevated Volcanoes

Get all currently elevated-alert-level US volcanoes from the official
USGS Volcano Hazards Program: alert level, aviation color code,
observatory, and a link to the full daily notice.

Built for aviation (volcanic ash is a real flight-safety hazard),
geology researchers, and disaster-preparedness teams who want current
status without checking each observatory's page by hand.

### Input

```json
{
  "observatory": "",
  "minAlertLevel": "ADVISORY",
  "maxResults": 25
}
```

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `observatory` | string (optional) | Limit to one USGS observatory by abbreviation, e.g. `"avo"` (Alaska), `"hvo"` (Hawaii), `"cvo"` (Cascades), `"yvo"` (Yellowstone), `"nmi"` (Northern Mariana Islands). |
| `minAlertLevel` | string | `"ADVISORY"`, `"WATCH"`, or `"WARNING"`. This actor only ever returns volcanoes above NORMAL; use this to narrow further. Default `"ADVISORY"` (all elevated volcanoes). |
| `maxResults` | number | Max volcanoes to return. Default `25`, max `100`. |

### Output

One record per volcano currently above normal alert status:

```json
{
  "volcanoName": "Great Sitkin",
  "volcanoNumber": "311120",
  "observatory": "Alaska Volcano Observatory",
  "observatoryAbbr": "avo",
  "alertLevel": "WATCH",
  "aviationColorCode": "ORANGE",
  "noticeIssued": "2026-08-15 19:33:58",
  "noticeUrl": "https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-AVO-2026-08-15T19:32:26+00:00"
}
```

At any given time only a handful of US volcanoes are elevated — a
request that finds none still returns no items but is billed once.

### How it works

Direct calls to the official [USGS Volcano Hazards Program
API](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/api/volcano/getElevatedVolcanoes)
— no proxy, no key, no scraping. Public U.S. government data, updated
as observatories issue new notices (typically daily for active
volcanoes, immediately for status changes).

### Pricing note

Billed per **check**, not per volcano returned — one charge whether the
check returns 0 volcanoes or 100.

### Related products

- [Earthquake Alert](https://github.com/timmKal01/earthquake-alert) — the seismic counterpart, also USGS

# Actor input Schema

## `observatory` (type: `string`):

Limit to one USGS volcano observatory by abbreviation, e.g. "avo" (Alaska), "hvo" (Hawaii), "cvo" (Cascades), "yvo" (Yellowstone), "nmi" (Northern Mariana Islands). Leave blank for all observatories.

## `minAlertLevel` (type: `string`):

USGS alert levels in order: NORMAL < ADVISORY < WATCH < WARNING. This actor only ever returns volcanoes above NORMAL; use this to further limit to WATCH or WARNING only.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of volcanoes to return.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "minAlertLevel": "ADVISORY",
  "maxResults": 25
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("m_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("m_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call m_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,m_ctim/volcano-alert-tracker"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/nA0QwCWQYW634aGoy/builds/KnaPWt1FTOdeKtf4W/openapi.json