Watch Kilauea Lava Breakout ‘61G’ As It Enters Pacific Ocean In Hawaii [VIDEO]

First Posted: Jul 27, 2016 04:20 AM EDT
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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reported that the lava flow, which originated from Kilauea's Puu Oo vent, has reached the Pacific Ocean on Hawaii Island early Tuesday.

The 61G lava breakout, which began in May this year, has been making its way towards the coastline for several weeks. The flow crossed the coastal emergency road inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at around 3:20 p.m. Monday and reached the ocean at 1:10 a.m. on Tuesday, reported Huffington Post. The last time, the lava flowed into the sea on the Big Island was three years ago in 2013.

What happens when lava meets water is that it quickly cools down and gets turned into hard, solid rock. On the other hand, temperature of the water rises to a great extent and produces clouds of steam. While the sight of lava entering ocean could be fascinating, it could turn out to be dangerous too.

The U.S. Geological Survey website has advised visitors to maintain a safe distance from the flow and the surrounding area, both from the water and on foot. The observatory has warned that sea cliffs around the point are uneven and unstable and reaching too close to an ocean entry will expose visitors to flying debris resulting from the explosive interaction between lava and water. The lava-water interaction also results in an acidic plume laden with fine volcanic particles that can cause skin and eye irritation, reported West Hawaii Today.

Ed Teixeira, Hawaii County interim Civil Defense administrator, has advised people hiking out to see the lava to a lot of water along with them.

Kilauea is considered as one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The volcano is believed to be between 300,000 and 600,000 years old and is located along the southern shore of the Hawaii Island. It has been continuously erupting since last 33 years.

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