HAWAII: Residents Warned About Acid “Laze” [VIDEO]

Hawaii News Now reports:

Two lava flows are now pouring into the Pacific Ocean from the Kilauea eruption. The flows are dripping into the water on the southeast side of the island, in the vicinity of the Mackenzie State Park.

It’s a beautiful sight that could come with the hazardous effects of a new concern: Laze. Civil Defense officials say laze is formed when hot lava hits the ocean. The change in temperature creates hydrochloric acid and steam. Within the steam, fine glass particles may be dispersed through the air.

Officials say laze is hazardous, and can result in lung, eye and skin irritation. Laze travels through the air and the plume is dispersed with the wind. The spread of the plume may change at a moment’s notice.

Laze is a portmanteau of lava and haze.