Kīlauea eruptive events rival the excitement of July Fourth fireworks

On the evening of June 30, 2008, littoral explosions at Kīlauea Volcano's Waikupanaha ocean entry created a fireworks-like display as incandescent fragments of lava flew through the air. When molten lava entered the sea, the water flashed to steam, triggering explosions that hurled spatter and other lava fragments up to heights of 50 m (164 ft). Spatter accumulating on the sea cliff above the ocean entry formed a littoral cone, aglow here from the fallout of still-hot fragments. USGS photo, D. Dow.