Photo Information

Steam plume rises from where lava enters the sea, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Photograph by J.D. Griggs on May 16, 1988
A large steam plume marks the spot where tube-fed lava from Kupaianaha enters the ocean. The plume contains a mixture of hydrochloric acid and concentrated seawater that is created when lava reacts with seawater. This mixture is known as laze (lava haze).