Last week, a sea cliff suddenly collapsed, and a massive "firehose" lava flow emerged from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. On Thursday, a giant crack from this cliff suddenly gave way to a molten stream of lava.
Geologists from the USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory have been on site to monitor this crack after the collapse and recorded this captivating video.
When this sea cliff collapsed, it started this heavy lava flow that has been spewing out of the top cliffs for weeks. This stream of lava appeared like a "firehose" shooting lava.
This firehose lava flow stems from the lava tube connecting to the Kamokuna ocean entry, located in the southeastern part of Kilauea on Hawaii's Big Island. Lava is now gushing violently from this tube.
The USGS has issued a warning that the unstable cliff can break off any time as the lava continues to flow into the ocean, making the area hazardous with explosions.
When this flowing lava hits the water, toxic gasses were released, and a smattering of volcanic shards of glass is ejected, hitting the cold seawater. This can endanger tourists who are hiking to see this lava flow on tour boats near the shoreline.
According to the USGS's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, this firehose lava flow produced not only dangerous blasts but overall creates hazardous conditions on land and sea. Researchers investigated this unstable sea cliff last weekend and recorded temperatures as high as 428 degrees Fahrenheit.
The massive lava stream has been continuously pouring out into the Kamokuna ocean entry even after the collapse of the sea cliff.
The Hawaiian National Park Service has set up a safer viewing area far from the firehose lava flow. However, some visitors have ventured out into the dangerous zones and crossed some lines.