Kilauea Volcano Lava Tube Skylights

 
 

For some reason, the lava coming out of Kilauea mostly doesn't flow on the surface of the lava field.   Instead, it flows underneath in very long lava tubes, appearing on the surface only as it nears the ocean.   However, the lava is fragile, and sometimes the roof of the lava tube collapses, resulting in a "skylight".

 
 
 

Several skylights were active at the time I visited, I'd estimate this one to be about 40 feet long and 10 feet wide.   I'm not sure if they ever close up - perhaps once a skylight forms it stays open until a later lava flow goes over the top of it.

 
 

This skylight looked very unstable, as if the roof was going to cave in at any moment.   People walking over the lava field do periodically fall through into molten lava, just a few weeks after visiting there were two more deaths which happened in this way.