44-acre lava shelf falls into ocean
A major lava bench along the coastline of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the ocean this week, possibly shaken loose by several earthquakes, volcanologists said.
The East Laeapuki delta, an unsteady feature built by lava from the Kilauea volcano flowing into the ocean, has disappeared, said Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Nearly 44 acres of the bench vanished, perhaps because of a 5.4-magnitude earthquake or high surf caused by Hurricane Flossie, according to the observatory.
“We had a report from a tour pilot that East Laeapuki bench had collapsed,” Kauahikaua said. “It’s totally gone.”
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, having been erupting continuously since 1983.
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