~ Earth Meets Sea ~

- Copyright © 2008 Greg Cope -

Where melted earth meets the sea and the Big Island of Hawaii grows outward into the Pacific, view from the lava viewing area near the Kalapana Gardens. This lava travels far from its eruption point at the Pu'u'O'o Vent on Kilauea, and at night can be seen weaving its way down the mountain. Most travels in elaborate lava tube networks, where it arrives at oceanside to cool in the waves and sea, releasing huge bursts of steam and gas. Using words like incredible and amazing to describe this scene - all an understatement.

This image shows the lava flowing into the sea, and the steam and gas that is released illuminated by the lava and blown by the wind. The image lacks a certain amount of overall sharpness I normally demand in my photographs - as do all my images of this lava flow - but this was beyond my control, as the rising heat between the viewing area and lava created heat waves that affected image quality.