This year, visitors to the Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii have been treated to an unusual sight. Since January, lava from the volcano has spewed out of a cliff and into the ocean, creating an explosion of steam and rock.
Kilauea has been erupting for more than 34 years. Some lava from the volcano typically flows to the ocean through natural underground tubes. The unusual flow formed when a cliff near the volcano collapsed, exposing a stream of lava.
“Lava began gushing out of a tube opening like water from a fire hose,” says Janet Babb, a scientist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. To keep spectators safe, officials set up a viewing area half a mile away from the flow.