Growing Lava Delta Collapses into the Pacific off Hawai'i's East Coast

Hawai'i has provided professional and citizen scientists alike a front row seat to spectacular volcanic activity since the ongoing eruption of Kilauea began in 1983. Since then, molten lava has been flowing into the Pacific Ocean off the east coast of Hawai'i and adding new land to the Big Island.

The new land is in the form of a shelf like delta that protrudes into the ocean. Periodically, large sections of the delta break off and fall into the sea.

On 28 November, the largest delta collapse since 1983 occurred when some 18 hectares (44 acres) of the east Lae`apuki delta collapsed into the ocean. The collapse removed a 50 meter strip of solidified lava from along the coast and allowed molten lava to stream into the ocean like water from a huge fire hose.

The molten lava instantly transforms sea water into a huge cloud of acidified steam, which often becomes a line of small cumulus clouds. Some of the water-quenched lava forms glassy fibers that are blown inland by the wind. The rest is forming a new delta atop the collapsed one.

For current updates about the ongoing Kilauea eruption, visit the eruption update page of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Forrest M. Mims III