Dangerous lava haze called 'laze' is rising in dramatic plumes around Hawaii - here's what it looks like
Lava began dripping into the water around Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday and Sunday.
Laze is created when ocean water comes into contact with volcanic heat. The liquid evaporates, which leads magnesium salts to form and mix with the steam.
"Seawater must be boiled almost completely dry before magnesium salts form," according to the USGS.
When the salts come in contact with the steam, together they create dangerously corrosive hydrogen chloride. It can be deadly when inhaled in high doses.
Hydrogen chloride can create a fluid buildup in the lungs, called pulmonary edema, which can cause serious chest pain, coughing, and fatigue. Even sniffing a little bit of the gas can irritate your eyes and skin, and make it hard to breathe, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The heat from lava can boil fish alive in the water and leave them floating on the surface. That sometimes makes a convenient snack for seabirds.
Source: USGS
USGS geologist Janet Babb warned that laze plumes from the Kilauea eruption could extend as far as 15 miles.
Source: Reuters
The USGS says there are other spots around the globe where volcanic lava oozes into the water, including Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, Montagu Island in the South Atlantic, and Stromboli volcano off the coast of Sicily.
Source: USGS
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