Kīlauea is the world's most active land-building volcano, creating enough new rock annually to cover 40 football fields.

Kīlauea is a shield volcano on the southeastern part of the Big Island of Hawaii. It entered a state of nearly continuous eruption on January 3, 1983, primarily through its East Rift Zone. This extended eruptive period, centered at the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent for decades, has dramatically reshaped the island's landscape.When lava reaches the Pacific Ocean, it undergoes submarine quenching. The molten rock, at approximately 1,100 degrees Celsius, shatters and accumulates to form a lava delta. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), this process has added roughly 500 acres of new land to the island since the 1983 eruption cycle began.The interaction between lava and seawater also creates laze, a contraction of "lava haze." This phenomenon occurs when heat triggers chemical reactions that release hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass particles into the air. While the land-building process is remarkable, these coastal areas are extremely dangerous due to the risk of bench collapses and toxic steam exposure.In 2018, a major eruption in the Lower East Rift Zone significantly accelerated this growth. During this event, lava flows covered nearly 14 square miles and added approximately 875 acres of new land to the coastline in just a few months. This demonstrates Kīlauea's status as one of Earth's most productive volcanic systems.