The Lava Flow hitting the ocean. (click the photo for more details) - Paul D'Andries (admin)

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This is me taking a close look at the active lava flow hitting the water. There is a lot of hydrochloric acid and glass particles in the air here. (Smells like a chemistry lab.) The hydrochloric acid comes from chlorine in the salt (salt water - NaCl) spontaneously bonding to hydrogen in the water (H20). The glass is formed when the silicon in the lava rapidly cools on contact with the water. The particles are so fine that it can severely irritate your lungs after only a few minutes exposure (keep in mind we had to hike out to this point).