Explosions like this can occur when lava flows enter the ocean. This photo, taken along the Kalapana ocean entry point on 27 November 1989, documents a common occurrence during the East Rift Zone eruption that began in 1983 and ended in 2018.

Photo by J.D. Griggs, 1989 (U.S. Geological Survey).

Keywords: lava | lava water interaction

Kilauea