What Is This?

A very unusual picture. Abstract in nature, but a real scene. This is a photograph of lava flow from the Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawai’i.

The volcano is currently active and the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawai’i. Located along the southern shore of the island, the volcano is between 300,000 and 600,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago.

Kīlauea’s current eruption dates back to January 3, 1983, and is by far its longest-duration historical period of activity, as well as one of the longest-duration eruptions in the world. As of January 2011, the eruption has produced 3.5 km³ (1 cu mi) of lava and resurfaced 123.2 km² (48 sq mi) of land.

I took this photograph from a helicopter, during a recent holiday in Hawaii. The picture shows molten lava flowing down the flank of the Kīlauea volcano. When lava is underground in its molten state it is called magma. As it reaches the ground, and air, it is called lava. The color of lava depends on the temperature of the flow as well as the chemical composition and any impurities that are in the liquid rock. Colors can include black, red, gray, brown and tan, metallic silver, pink, and green. This lava flow is evidently black and metallic silver. If you look carefully, you can see traces of red (very hot) magma emerging from beneath.

Flying over the liquid rock is an interesting sensation. To facilitate viewing and photography, the doors of the helicopter were removed. I could feel the warmth of the lava as we descended to as low as 500 feet above the lava flow and of course, there is the omnipresent aroma of sulphur dioxide in the air.

I took a number of other pictures that I have included as a slideshow, below.