Kilauea Lava Continues March to Ocean

The lava flow from Kilauea Volcano’s lower east rift zone mostly flowed into the ocean in two spots on Monday, May 21, but some escaped into new cracks. A crack opened under the east lava channel on Sunday morning, a news report said, and at one point was diverting lava underground. But the lava flow to the ocean has not slowed down. The lava entering the ocean created laze, short for lava haze, which has triggered new alerts. The white cloud is comprised of a mixture of condensed seawater steam, hydrochloric acid gas, and tiny shards of volcanic glass, according to the US Geographical Survey. “This mixture has the stinging and corrosive properties of diluted battery acid, and should be avoided,” USGS said. This footage shows the lava fountains at the fissures during an overflight by USGS on the morning of May 21. Credit: USGS via Storyful