Tuesday 22 January 2013

alterIMAGE: When Lava Meets Water



So nature has done it again! This stunning photo is what happens when lava and seawater meet.  The water will get into the cracks of the lava flow’s surface, causing it to rapidly expand. The intense heat will convert the water to steam. At the same time, the cooling effect of the water causes the lava to solidify. All together this creates some pretty violent explosions from the combination of rocks, water, steam, and sparks of lava. If a wave splashes over the flow, the action is quite impressive as well (in terms of photography, but it’s actually pretty dangerous if you’re too close). What happens is that the water almost instantly will vaporize, which sends large rocks flying…so keep your distance. The steam is also very dangerous. Besides from being extremely hot, it contains volcanic glass particles, hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. Seems like another legit reason to swim away if you see lava heading towards the ocean. But from an artistic standpoint, it’s truly spectacular.

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