HOME OF THE VOLCANO GODDESS

Kilauea has been erupting since 1983 but has ramped up its output of lava since last November. Kilauea is the home of the Goddess Pele and Hawaiians still throw offerings into the crater to appease her. Long strings of molten volcanic glass, called Pele's hair, are blown on the wind forming clumps. As tiny as these are, they are still volcanic bombs. Gas bubbles at the surface throw droplets of fluid melt high into the air where they're chilled into shiny glass globules known as Pele's tears.





Kilauea is a low flat shield volcano, the youngest on the Big Island, situated on the south-eastern side. It pulls magma to the surface from a depth of over 60 kilometres. When the lava lake overflows, it streams towards the ocean over land or through lava tunnels formed when old flows solidify in the air, leaving a hollow tube when the eruption stops. The image above is a lava explosion at Waikupanaha where it enters the ocean.



As the lava enters the ocean, again at the Waikupanaha entry point, vortexes form beneath the steam plume. The entry here is from underground tubes into the Pacific Ocean and is creating huge clouds of steam and ash.

This is exploding lava in the Pu'u O'o vent. It has been measured as high as 150 feet with temperatures up to 1,200 degrees Centigrade. It also creates Vog, thick volcanic fumes which kill wildlife, plants and humans.