Lava Safely - Common Sense is Not Enough Kilauea Volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1983. Although it is noted for its approachable lava flows, the volcano undergoes many changes that can be unpredictable and life threatening. Without knowledge of the landscape and the processes that form it, visitors can find themselves in dangerous, even deadly, situations. Understanding volcanic hazards and taking the right equipment are keys to safely exploring volcanic landscapes.
Ocean water enters the lava tube, flashes to steam, and blows through the roof of the tube.
The current eruption of K lauea Volcano began in 1983 with spectacular lava fountaining at a new vent, named Pu'u ' ' , high on the volcano's east rift zone. Although surface flows have been common in this eruption, most of the lava from the vent travels concealed in lava tubes until it reaches the ocean. When lava moves through the landscape and into the ocean, we see how the Hawaiian Islands are built. The experience of witnessing rock in its bright molten state and watching land being formed has fascinated and inspired everyone who has been lucky enough to see it. Seeing lava for the first time is captivating and often lures the viewer closer, but it is also beguiling and dangerous.