Hawaii Volcano Gushing Lava Into The Ocean Is Captivating

Brian Snelson

Talk about captivating. Dramatic video of lava flowing from Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano into the Pacific Ocean was released by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Watch the footage from Hawaii’s Big Island below and scroll down to keep reading.

According to the organization, as of Friday, the eruption poses no threat to local communities. That said, it warned, “As a strong caution to visitors viewing the ocean entry (where lava meets the sea), there are additional significant hazards besides walking on uneven surfaces and around unstable, extremely steep sea cliffs.”

The USGS added, “Venturing too close to an ocean entry on land or the ocean exposes you to flying debris created by the explosive interaction between lava and water. Also, the new land created is unstable because it is built on unconsolidated lava fragments and sand. This loose material can easily be eroded away by surf, causing the new land to become unsupported and slide into the sea. In several instances, such collapses, once started, have also incorporated parts of the older sea cliff.” It continued, “This occurred most recently on December 31. Additionally, the interaction of lava with the ocean creates a corrosive seawater plume laden with hydrochloric acid and fine volcanic particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs.”

Thursday evening, geologist Janet Babb, who works at the observatory, emailed the New York Times to comment on the unusually long duration of the lava flow.

“The only thing we can surmise is the offshore topography apparently is so steep that, as the lava is flowing in and forming all this new rubble, it’s just slipping down into deeper parts of the ocean and not piling up to form a new delta,” she said. “Lava will continue to flow into the ocean until it’s disrupted.”