Dangerous lava haze called 'laze' is rising in dramatic plumes around Hawaii - here's what it looks like

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Dangerous lava haze called 'laze' is rising in dramatic plumes around Hawaii - here's what it looks like

laze hi volcano

Mario Tama/Getty Images

People take photos on a tour boat as steam plumes rise while lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii's Big Island on May 20, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii.

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Hawaii's Kilauea volcano isn't just spewing lava into the air anymore. That lava is flowing into the water, leading to a dangerous concoction called laze.

Laze - a combination of the words lava and haze - is the product of a chemical reaction that happens when molten, 2,140-degree-Fahrenheit lava hits the ocean. The sea water gets boiled, creating a messy mix of hydrochloric acid, steam, and tiny glass particles.

The noxious plumes of laze are extremely dangerous for people to breathe. Hawaii's civil defense is sounding the alarm to residents, warning that laze can cause lung damage, eye and skin irritation, and even death in serious cases.

Take a look at how it forms and why it's so hazardous:

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Lava began dripping into the water around Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday and Sunday.

Lava began dripping into the water around Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday and Sunday.

The laze started rising around the same time that the Kilauea volcano eruption claimed its first serious injury: a man sitting on his third-floor porch got lava-bombed and was hospitalized with a shattered leg.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

Laze killed two people in Hawaii in 2000, according to Reuters.

Laze killed two people in Hawaii in 2000, according to Reuters.

Source: Reuters

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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.

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.

USGS geologist Janet Babb warned that laze plumes from the Kilauea eruption could extend as far as 15 miles.

Source: Reuters

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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.

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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