USGS Volcano Alerts Scraper

USGS Volcano Alerts Scraper

Scrape USGS volcano alerts and aviation color codes for every monitored volcano, or only the elevated ones. Each record includes the volcano name, alert level, color code, observatory, and activity summary. No API key. Export to JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML.

The USGS Volcano Hazards Program publishes current alert levels and aviation color codes for every volcano it monitors, but the official feeds are scattered and hard to filter. This Actor reads the public USGS volcano alerts feed directly and returns each volcano as one flat row, with the option to return only volcanoes at elevated alert levels or from a single observatory.

Who uses it	What they scrape USGS Volcano Alerts for
Emergency managers	Which volcanoes in their region need immediate attention
Volcanologists	A daily snapshot of alert level changes across all US observatories
Airlines and aviation planners	Which volcanoes have an elevated aviation color code that could affect flight routes
Journalists	A list of currently restless volcanoes for a news story
Insurance analysts	Which volcanic regions have an elevated risk right now

What it does

This Actor collects USGS volcano alerts and aviation color codes for all monitored volcanoes or only those at elevated levels, and returns each volcano as a flat row.

• 🌋 All monitored volcanoes: returns the full USGS list, including volcanoes at normal or green status.
• ⚠️ Elevated alert volcanoes only: returns only volcanoes currently at an elevated alert level or aviation color code.
• 🏔️ Observatory filter: limit results to one of the five USGS volcano observatories: Alaska, California, Cascades, Hawaiian, or Yellowstone.
• 📊 Structured output: each volcano comes back as a flat row with alert level, color code, observatory, and activity summary, ready for CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with USGS Volcano Alerts data

🚨 Monitor volcanic unrest.

An emergency manager runs the Actor daily in elevated mode to see which volcanoes in their region have moved above normal, then shares the list with field teams.

✈️ Protect flight routes.

An airline operations planner filters by the Alaska Volcano Observatory and checks aviation color codes before approving routes over the Aleutian Islands.

📈 Track alert level changes.

A volcanologist schedules the Actor to run every morning and stores the results to build a timeline of alert level changes at Cascade volcanoes.

📰 Find a story lead.

A science journalist runs the Actor in elevated mode to get a short list of restless volcanoes, then picks one with a recent activity summary for a feature.

🗺️ Build a risk map.

A GIS analyst pulls all monitored volcanoes with their alert levels and coordinates, then joins the data to a map of populated areas for a risk assessment.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key	Reads the public USGS volcano alerts feed directly, no registration or token needed.
Current data	Pulls the latest alert levels and aviation color codes on every run.
Filtered results	Return only elevated volcanoes or a single observatory so your dataset stays small and relevant.
Flat schema	Every volcano is one row, so you can export to CSV or load into a spreadsheet without transformation.

How it compares

This Actor focuses on the current alert level and aviation color code for each volcano, while the other USGS scrapers target different parts of the volcano data ecosystem.

Feature	ParseForge	USGS Volcano Activity Notifications Scraper	USGS Volcano Notices Scraper	Natural Disaster & Earthquake Tracker
Current alert level and aviation color code	Yes	Yes	Not listed	Yes
Filter by elevated alert only	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed
Filter by USGS observatory	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed
Activity summary text	Yes	Yes	Not listed	Not listed
Latitude and longitude	Not listed	Not listed	Yes	Yes
Full HANS notice text	Not listed	Yes	Not listed	Not listed
Other disaster types (earthquakes, floods)	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed	Yes

Configure the run

Choose between all monitored volcanoes or only elevated alerts, optionally filter by a single USGS observatory, and set a maximum number of records to return. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
 "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.002 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.20
1,000 results	$2.00
10,000 results	$20.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the USGS Volcano Alerts Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to USGS Volcano Alerts through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

$claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/usgs-volcano-alerts-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results?

If you are in elevated mode and no volcanoes are currently at an elevated alert level, the result will be empty. Try switching to all mode to see the full monitored list. Also check that your observatory filter is not set to a region with no elevated volcanoes.

Why do I only get 10 records?

Free users are limited to 10 records as a preview. Upgrade to a paid plan and set maxItems higher to get the full list. Note that the USGS feed itself contains only a few dozen volcanoes, so the full list is not much larger than 10.

Why is my observatory filter not working?

Make sure you are using the correct observatory code from the dropdown: avo, calvo, cvo, hvo, or yvo. If you leave the field blank, all observatories are included.

Why are some volcanoes missing from the results?

The USGS feed includes only volcanoes that are actively monitored by one of the five US volcano observatories. Volcanoes outside the United States or its territories are not included unless they are monitored by a US observatory.

Why is the data not updating?

The Actor reads the live USGS feed on every run, so if you are seeing stale data, check that your run is not using a cached result. Run the Actor again or schedule it to run at the frequency you need.

FAQ

Question	Answer
What is the difference between all and elevated mode?	All mode returns every volcano the USGS monitors, including those at normal or green status. Elevated mode returns only volcanoes currently at an elevated alert level or aviation color code, so you get a shorter list of volcanoes that need attention.
Can I filter by a specific volcano?	The Actor does not have a volcano name filter. You can filter by observatory, which narrows results to one region, and then filter the output yourself by volcano name.
How often is the data updated?	The Actor reads the live USGS volcano alerts feed on every run, so you always get the current alert levels and aviation color codes. Schedule it to run as often as you need.
Do I need a USGS API key?	No. The Actor reads the public USGS volcano alerts feed directly, so there is no registration or API key required.
What observatories can I filter by?	You can filter by Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), California Volcano Observatory (CalVO), Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), or Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). Leave the filter blank to include all observatories.
What is an aviation color code?	The aviation color code is a four-color system (green, yellow, orange, red) that indicates the potential hazard a volcano poses to aviation. Green means normal, red means a major eruption is underway or imminent.
Can I get only volcanoes at orange or red alert?	The elevated mode returns any volcano above normal, which includes yellow, orange, and red alert levels and color codes. There is no filter for a specific level, but you can filter the output yourself.
What does the activity summary contain?	The activity summary is the USGS text description of current volcanic activity, such as seismic unrest, gas emissions, or eruption status. It is included as a field in each record.
Is there a limit on how many volcanoes I can get?	Free users are limited to 10 records as a preview. Paid users can set maxItems up to 1,000,000, but the USGS feed itself contains only a few dozen monitored volcanoes, so the practical limit is the full list.
Can I schedule this Actor to run automatically?	Yes. You can schedule the Actor to run on a daily or hourly basis from the Apify platform, and it will pull the latest volcano alerts each time.
What formats can I export the data in?	You can export the results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML directly from the Apify dataset, or use the API to fetch the data programmatically.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by U.S. Geological Survey. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.