February 3, 2005

Lava From Hawaii Volcano Drops Into Ocean

by ssavage

VOLCANO, Hawaii (AP) -- Lava from Kilauea volcano began dropping into the ocean at two new points this week, treating visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to a fiery show.

The lava began flowing into the Pacific on Monday at one spot that is about a mile and a half from a park ranger station. The second spot is on the far side of the park near the former town of Kalapana, which was covered by lava in 1990.

As lava hits the ocean, it can create crowd-pleasing explosions and fantastic views of red-hot flow.

The national park was established in 1916 and includes 13,677-foot high Mauna Loa, the world's largest volcano, and Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since Jan. 3, 1983.