Volcano Eruption

My last week in la Réunion saw the pretty substantial eruption of Piton de la Fournaise, the very much active volcano on the island. Here you can see the lava flow down the hillside and into the ocean, producing an enormous column of steam as it hits the sea. The lava that flowed out that it crossed the national highway blocking it in 2 places. In fact, there was so much lava that it significantly increased the land area of the eastern side of the island. Crazy! Also, the lava that spilled into the ocean heated up the water so much that it killed a lot of fish. Many new species were recently discovered (found floating on the ocean surface!). The next photo shows the eruption spewing lava. Lastly, the eruption, steam column, and viewers. I love this photo. It reminds me a bit of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And, of course, there’s me loving my first volcano erupting experience.