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Lava Lacuna

The lava from Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii continues to make its way to the ocean. Occasionally, the land that is built up due to the lava cooling breaks off and falls into the ocean. The Honolulu Advertiser has a story on just such a lava bench.

This first shot is what this area of the Big Island looked like before the break.

Big Island coast photo before the break.

This second shot shows what it looks like now with a huge chunk of land having slid into the ocean. Let this be a warning to all you folks who hike out to get pictures of the lava flowing into the ocean. The land you may be standing on could break off and cause your death.

Big Island coast after the break.

When these so called lava ledges/benches do break off, you sometimes end up seeing lava pouring out of lava tubes like the photo below. That is molten rock shooting out like water from a fire hose. That is how a new ledge will develop and perhaps how the Big Island will get even bigger.

As always, if anyone is interested in some hot, prime ocean front property, see your local realtor. I'm sure they'll give you a good deal and maybe throw in part of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Lava shooting out of a lava tube into the ocean.

Aloha!

Comments

so you sneeze and ... poof ... half the island disapears ... :)