The hiking trail ends at this overlook, so we begin walking across the old lava beds to get a closer view.
Although this eruption is consider part of the Kilauea volcano, this particular formation is named Pu'u O'o.
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We are in Volcanoes National Park on the "big island" of Hawaii. We take this photo from a viewpoint, seven miles away from the eruption.
The hiking trail ends at this overlook, so we begin walking across the old lava beds to get a closer view. Although this eruption is consider part of the Kilauea volcano, this particular formation is named Pu'u O'o. |
| Now we are on a cliff about one mile from the eruption.
We spend most of the night here, close enough for good views yet far enough away to be safe. We are afraid if we go any closer we will be too low to the mountain for good photos. The fountain of lava is 1500 feet high--taller than the highest building in the world! |
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On the back side of the volcano we find two huge rivers of lava, four miles long.
Although the eruption lasts for 20 hours, not enough lava comes out to flow all the way down to the ocean. Instead, the lava pools at the base of the volcano and begins to cool and solidify, forming new rock-- continuing the volcanic process of island building. |
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