Lava flows that have been cascading into the sea have formed a brand new, small island off the coast of Hawaii after a crater at Mount Kilauea exploded with the force of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake.Friday's crater explosion sparked a slow-moving flood of lava that destroyed hundreds of homes at Kapoho, on the Big Island. On a flyover of the eruption Kilauea volcano Friday, scientists with the United States Geological Survey noticed the new island of lava off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island. A Hawaii Volcano Observatory crew noticed it during a Friday morning flight. The island is part of the lava flow that extends underwater away from the coastline, the agency said. It thinks underwater pressure pushed the lava flow to the surface. This is very common — it’s called a tumulus. If the lava flow stays active, the island will probably connect to the coastline, USGS said. If not, it might erode away because of wave action. When the lava cooled, the sea peeled back to reveal a small island jutting out from the depths only a few meters from the mainland.According to Hawaii News Now, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimated that the island is about 20 to 30 feet in diameter. What’s the island going to be called? USGS said regardless of what happens to the island, naming is the responsibility of the local community. Kilauea erupted in early May, sending a flow of lava into residential areas of Hawaii island. The resulting lava flow has swallowed homes and left havoc and damage in its wake. Kilauea was still erupting lava into the channel leading northwest from the vent as of Sunday, according to the USGS.
A tiny island of lava forms north of the Kapoho ocean entry on Hawaii island.