About

ORIGINS

Started in 2016, Eruption Software is the culmination of two decades of experience working in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park by its founder, Philip Fisk Ong.

Philip's first substantive experiences with Kīlauea came as a volunteer intern for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in 1997, where he took part in many different aspects of volcano monitoring. Favorite among them were mapping active lava flows and producing near-real-time earthquake maps from live seismic data for the HVO website, enough so to return for a second appointment in 1999.

Fast forward several years, when Philip returns to the Big Island after completing an M.S. in Geology at the University of Michigan (following a B.S. Geology and B.S. Computer Science at the University of North Carolina). In association with volcanologist Tom Pfeiffer, Philip started & operated VolcanoDiscovery Hawai‘i Tours from 2006-14, growing its staff to 5 employees. In its course, 2 of its guides are awarded Hawai‘i Island Ecotour Guide of the Year (2013-14) to go along with its own state-wide Hawaiian Ecotour Operator of the Year award in 2013.

In combining the scientific experience of the volcano observatory, interpretive experience as a volcano tour guide, and computing experience spanning both disciplines, the Eruption Lens app hopes to amplify our fascination with the active Kīlauea volcano and bring its eruption sites to life.