CAMERAS / INFORMED OBSERVATION
Volcano webcams in Iceland and around the world
Find a view, identify its operator and check when the image was captured. Camera availability and a confirmed eruption are separate pieces of information.
Open the camera catalogueA stream, still image or archive?
The Terra Atlas catalogue covers Iceland, including the Reykjanes area, and selected volcanoes worldwide. It separates video, refreshed still images and archives. Some entries open an operator directory or a shared channel with several views.
For example, USGS provides Kīlauea images and streams alongside a separate archive. The operator describes each view and its availability. Not every volcano has its own working camera.
Playback does not establish image freshness
A video may play after its live stream ends. An image retrieved today can show an older frame. Retrieval time and file modification time are not automatically capture time. Check the timestamp in the frame, its time zone and the operator description.
Archives are explicitly separated from the current catalogue. When capture time is unknown, the app labels freshness as unconfirmed. Older RÚV recordings remain in Archive; the official operator directory can also contain ended streams.
Choose a camera and check its source
On a phone, select a camera from the list. Region and volcano filters work with favorites, and previous/next navigation stays within the chosen set.
- Open Catalogue or the Reykjanes filter; Archive is a separate selection.
- Choose a region and volcano, then check operator and media type.
- Open the view in the app or use the operator website button.
- If no image appears, consult the original source and check date, weather and outage notices.
Night, clouds and recording your own material
A dark or obscured view is not necessarily a fault. USGS notes the effects of night, cloud, rain and occasional breakdowns. Thermal views are a distinct image type and need their own interpretation.
When using Terra Atlas film mode, retain dates, sources and educational-schematic labels. Check camera-use conditions with the operator. For current volcanic activity, open a dated report from the responsible observatory.
Source: USGS / Hawaiian Volcano Observatory · Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program
Sources and further reading
Sources are in English or Icelandic. The text date is not the date of a current report or confirmation of camera freshness.